Horse mushroom, Agaricus arvensis; the Chantarelle, Cantharellus
cibarius; the Giant mushroom, Clitocybe maximus, and St. George’s
mushroom, Tricholoma gambosa. The latter species is reproduced in rings
every year. It is a popular saying that when the ring is unbroken there
will be a plentiful harvest the following season. It is an early
mushroom, appearing in April. It derives its name from the fact of its
appearing about April 23d, which is St. George’s day in the English
calendar. Besides these mushrooms there is another Tricholoma,
T. tigrinus, the Tiger mushroom, which sometimes appears in circles.
The word tigrinus means a tiger. The cap is variegated with dark brown
spots, hence the name. Then there is the Limp Clitocybe, C. flaccida, so
called because flaccida means limp. It also appears in rings (according
to Stevenson), while the stems are united under the soil.

The waxy Clitocybe, C. laccata, is not spoken of as having that mode of
growth in circles, but we have seen many of these mushrooms appearing in
arcs of circles, and forming almost perfect rings, particularly after
showers of rain, and always on the sides of roads.

Many fairy rings have lasted for years and are very old. We have read of
one, in the county of Essex, England, that measured 120 feet across. The
grass that covered it was coarse and of a dark green color. What causes
these fairy rings? An explanation is given in a newspaper extract from
“Knowledge,” in which it is said: “A patch of spawn arising from a
single spore or a number of spores spreads centrifugally in every
direction, and forms a common circular felt, from which the fruit arises
at its extreme edge; the soil in the inner part of the disc is
exhausted, and the spawn dies or becomes effete there, while it spreads
all around in an outward direction and produces another crop whose spawn
spreads again. The circle is thus continually enlarged, and extends