The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

Agreed - nothing fungal!
But I'm not going to recommend anyone to eat anything just from their
description!

I am - from that description.

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk exchange d.p. with p to
reply.

In article , Rusty Hinge
writes
The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these words:

Agreed - nothing fungal!
But I'm not going to recommend anyone to eat anything just from their
description!

There may well be wisdom in that.

I saw this big grey animal with large ears, tusks and a trunk. It must
have weighed several tons......

I would not advise you to try eating it. Not singlehanded, anyway.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Thanks to everyone who replied, it's obviously been there a little longer
than I thought as it's starting to go a little bit brown and definately
dusty as someone mentioned, it's also 'nibbled' all over with small holes
in. I missed out this time it would seem but I'll definately be watching
that part of the garden from now on, Im mad I missed it, from reading the
posts Im sure I'd have loved it. All is not lost however, I've learned
something new and been able to teach the kids too. Will let all know if
another turns up. Thanks everyone

Shannie

On 24 Aug 2003 04:50:25 -0700, (Mike Lyle)
wrote:

Stephen Howard wrote in message . ..
[...]
Beat the yolk of an egg, dip a slice of the fungi in it and saute in
butter, What a treat!
Makes a superb breakfast - has the same texture as an omelette, but
with a lovely nutty flavour.

In that case, you restore the hautbois, and I'll do the omelettes, thanks!

I'd want more than an omelette for that kind of work!
A few fried tomatoes on the side?

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{who is at}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 00:16:15 +0100, "shannie"
wrote:

Thanks to everyone who replied, it's obviously been there a little longer
than I thought as it's starting to go a little bit brown and definately
dusty as someone mentioned, it's also 'nibbled' all over with small holes
in. I missed out this time it would seem but I'll definately be watching
that part of the garden from now on, Im mad I missed it, from reading the
posts Im sure I'd have loved it. All is not lost however, I've learned
something new and been able to teach the kids too. Will let all know if
another turns up. Thanks everyone

Final point - be sure to leave it where you found it, to set spores!
Fungi are very picky about where they reside - I've been scattering
giant puffballs spores in my garden for years ( in what I hope is a
'des res' for the beasties ) without any luck.
You've got a head start!

As regards the nibbles - simply cut around 'em when you find an eater,
there's plenty to go round.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{who is at}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

"Stephen Howard" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 00:16:15 +0100, "shannie"
Final point - be sure to leave it where you found it, to set spores!
Fungi are very picky about where they reside - I've been scattering
giant puffballs spores in my garden for years ( in what I hope is a
'des res' for the beasties ) without any luck.
You've got a head start!

Thanks stephen, left it there as I hadn't a clue what else to do with
it..lol..

If it's any help the area I found it is about three feet from a hawthorn
ditch, in the most northerly part of the garden where only grass and
ditches thrive..about a foot away there's a 'run' not sure if it's badger or
fox, never go near it in case I disturb it. As said previously there were
horses on it for years ...last year when we had it ploughed the farmer who
owns the land round us (his father used to own our land way back) told us it
hadn't been ploughed since he did it with a horse when he was a teenager,
he's now in his eighties. So it appears it likes old, scrubby, never fed
land, and it was in a few inches of grass as I've not mown down there for a
while...dunno if this helps any.



As regards the nibbles - simply cut around 'em when you find an eater,
there's plenty to go round.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{who is at}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

"Stephen Howard" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 00:16:15 +0100, "shannie"
wrote:

Final point - be sure to leave it where you found it, to set spores!
Fungi are very picky about where they reside - I've been scattering
giant puffballs spores in my garden for years ( in what I hope is a
'des res' for the beasties ) without any luck.

Have you tried when it's raining heavily? I think I am right in saying that
puffballs puff when hit by large raindrops, hence disperse their spores in
ideal conditions for germination.

Matt




---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 21/08/2003

Stephen Howard wrote in message . ..
On 24 Aug 2003 04:50:25 -0700, (Mike Lyle)
wrote:

Stephen Howard wrote in message . ..
[...]
Beat the yolk of an egg, dip a slice of the fungi in it and saute in
butter, What a treat!
Makes a superb breakfast - has the same texture as an omelette, but
with a lovely nutty flavour.

In that case, you restore the hautbois, and I'll do the omelettes, thanks!

I'd want more than an omelette for that kind of work!
A few fried tomatoes on the side?

With the greatest pleasure, my dear chap! Some fines herbes, too, natch.

Mike.

The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

I saw this big grey animal with large ears, tusks and a trunk. It must
have weighed several tons......

I would not advise you to try eating it. Not singlehanded, anyway.

I'm having a barbie in me back garding innit. Looking for a suitale
spit.........

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk exchange d.p. with p to
reply.

The message
from Stephen Howard contains these words:

Final point - be sure to leave it where you found it, to set spores!
Fungi are very picky about where they reside - I've been scattering
giant puffballs spores in my garden for years ( in what I hope is a
'des res' for the beasties ) without any luck.
You've got a head start!

The (many millions of) spores that will produce may circle the world a
few dozen times before they land, probably in the sea or somewhere
inhospitable.

There will be mycelium in the soil and this will persist for years and
years. When conditions are right the fruit bodies will appear.

Getting spores to 'take' is an unrewarding task. The pH has to be right
and the ground must be damp. Far better to take a small square of soil
from where a puffball has grown, and plant that. *IF* conditions are
right, you may well start a clone.

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk exchange d.p. with p to
reply.

The message
from "shannie" contains these words:

So it appears it likes old, scrubby, never fed
land, and it was in a few inches of grass as I've not mown down there for a
while...dunno if this helps any.

The classic place to look for them is in meadows where there have been
cattle, epecially on flood plains. But you sometimes find them in the
oddest places.

Dr. John Ramsbottom reported that one was found under the floor of a
building which was being demolished. The builders thought it was a skull
and called the Dibble......

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk exchange d.p. with p to
reply.

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 13:28:00 +0100, "Matt"
wrote:


"Stephen Howard" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 00:16:15 +0100, "shannie"
wrote:

Final point - be sure to leave it where you found it, to set spores!
Fungi are very picky about where they reside - I've been scattering
giant puffballs spores in my garden for years ( in what I hope is a
'des res' for the beasties ) without any luck.

Have you tried when it's raining heavily? I think I am right in saying that
puffballs puff when hit by large raindrops, hence disperse their spores in
ideal conditions for germination.

I've tried it all - including the suggestion to transplant mycelium
infected soil, but to no avail.
The last puffball I left in the garden was chucking out spores well
into the winter.

I'll have to be content with the field mushrooms that grow in the
lawn... sigh.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{who is at}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

The message
from Stephen Howard contains these words:

I've tried it all - including the suggestion to transplant mycelium
infected soil, but to no avail.
The last puffball I left in the garden was chucking out spores well
into the winter.

I'll have to be content with the field mushrooms that grow in the
lawn... sigh.

Just an idea - if you can find any larch or spruce needles, sprinkle a
few buckets full of those about. They just might increase the acidity
sufficiently to spur the mycelium you inoculated the soil with to form
fruit bodies.

Don't expect any this year though.

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk exchange d.p. with p to
reply.