MUSHROOM TIME 
     
    
   
   
    
     BY KATHERINE CLOUGH 
     
    
   
   
    
     It has been a superb summer for mushrooms here in Quebec City. We had a shower of rain almost every 
     
     day in July and that kept the ground and undergrowth moist and the fungi very happy. 
     
    

    
     One species that has been very abundant is the fairy ring mushroom 'Marasmius oreades'. Appearing on 
     
     lawns, often in rings but sometimes in clumps, this small (cap 1 - i V: ” diam.) tan-coloured mushroom is an ex- 
     
     cellent edible. it must be carefully identified to avoid being confused with the poisonous Ciitocybe dealbata. 
     
    

    
     Marasmius orecdes grows underground as a network of threads known as mycelium. Growth starts at 
     
     one point and radiates out in all directions. When temperature and moisture conditions are suitable. 
     
     mushrooms are produced at the advancing edge of the mycelium. hence the ring. 
     
    

    
     In early times, the rings were declared as magic places where treasure was hidden and where fairies 
     
     danced in the moonlight. ‘ 
     
    

    
     While the 'fairy ring mushroom’ has been 
     
     abundant I have had difficulty finding chanterelles. 
     
     They are not as abundant as they are in the 
     
     Maritime provinces. Their favourite habitat, con- 
     
     iferous trees, is not common in this area of 
     
     . Quebec, where hardwood forests are dominant. 
     
    

    
     ' Chanterelles are highly prized though. i saw 
     
     some poor-looking specimens selling for $3.50 per 
     
     100 g. in a local fruit and vegetable market. 
     
    

    
     Quebeckers take mushrooms and mushroom- 
     
     ing very seriously. Many of the people I have met 
     
     since coming here a year ago display an interest 
     
     and often a great deal of knowledge ab0ut collec- 
     
     ting, identifying and cooking wild mushrooms. The 
     
     ’Cercle Mycologique' is a group of amateur 
     
     mycologists which meets every Monday night in the 
     
     fall to compare and identify the weekend’s collec- 
     
     tions. I hope to join them this fall and learn more 
     
     about Quebec mushrooms - maybe even where to 
     
     look for morels next spring! 
     
    
   
   
    
     ISLAND WATERWAYS lN DANGER 
     
    
   
   
    
     island waterways are having a hard time this summer. The P.E.l. Wildlife Federation is concerned because 
     
     of the recent appearance of a problem called white water. 
     
    

    
     "This is a condition caused by the absence of Oxygen due to a buildup of algae hastened by warm water 
     
     and aided by the erosion of fertilizers and soils into the water systems," said Federation president Paul Gallant 
     
     in a news release. 
     
    

    
     "The white water symptom is a warning being presented to us by nature," explained Mr. Gallant. "Too 
     
     many of our waterways are being deluged by sediment and fertilizers, chemicals, etcetera, due to man's un- 
     
     willingness to adiust his habits.” 
     
    

    
     He pointed out that many see it as it being easier to plow an area that should be a buffer zone rather than 
     
     plant trees. "It’s more profitable to cut the trees in the forest next to a brook than to leave them." 
     
    

    
     The P.E.l. Wildlife Federation has planned a one-day seminar with other interested groups. They also hope 
     
     to provide government agencies with solutions "for immediate action to save our waterways.” 
     
    

    
     Interested organizations can contact the P.E.l. Wildlife Federation, Box 413, Souris, P.E.l. for more infor- 
     
     mation. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Chanterelle