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afforded from the flower of preceding plants by some wonderful secret in nature.

The invisible seed discharged on the adjacent soil, and thence disseminated by the air to situations adapted to it's nature, germinates and shoots forth into white fibrous, cobweb-like substances, spreading and forming the spawn and embryo plants for the production of the future Mushroom. Thus, probably, by such dissemination, and so mysterious a progress of nature, adapted to certain soils and situations, it is, that we often find both Mushroom and spawn abundantly in obscure places where none were ever observed before, in old dung hot-beds, horse dunghills, and in bye dry places where horse-stable dung has lain undisturbed til rotten.

The spawn is also often found in pasture fields under the turf, in places where Mush-