ANDERSSON, Nils Johan (1821-1880)

First edition, with six tipped in dried lichens. In the year of famine, 1867, the Kongl. Patriotiska Sällskapet (The Royal Patriotic Society), where N. J. Andersson was secretary, decided to issue a "short instruction how to identify and use the in our country occuring most useful mushrooms" with the title "Our best edible mushrooms". The publication was handed out for free to the primary schools of the country in 10 000 copies and contained a colour plate with 29 different mushrooms. In the book shops the price of the publication was 25 öre. But since mushrooms wasn't the only element for substitute bread the Society issued a similar publication the following year called "Our best Food-lichens" with two plates carrying six different pasted-in dried lichens. 4 000 copies were handed out for free to the elementary schools and agricultural schools. Since the demand was high a second edition was printed in 1870, "in which Mr. Höglind after photographs have drawn and printed in colour the images here presented since it is no longer possible for the author to collect a sufficent number of real specimens. It is hoped that herby attention shall be drawn to these surrogate bread- and food-stuff, so that they may be more commonly known and used to alleviate the suffering that crop losses cause a destitue population". N. J. Andersson was curator of the botanical collections of Riksmuseet and was the botanist on the frigate Eugenie on it's tour of the world 1851-1853. Among other things he wrote about the vegetation of the Galapagos Islands.

Collation: Pp 12. Two plates with with six mounted dried lichens.

Binding: Utrimmed in the original printed wrappers.

References: Krok 58.