ON THE CULTIVATION OF CERTAIN FUNGI. 191 



better flavoured, and probably more nutritious, than the Garden 

 Pratelle is at its best. 



Some attempts have been made here to introduce the cultivation 

 of Truffles, but they do not appear to have been successful. We 

 have two esculent species, which have been described in the 

 catalogue, and these may be of abundant occurrence, and might be 

 found plentifully if properly looked for. But the most esteemed 

 kinds, Tuher cibarium and Tuber melanosporum, the latter being 

 the famous Perigord Truffle, have not been found in Britain. If 

 they could be introduced, there is no doubt they might become 

 a source of large profit. The extent of the trade in Truffles, in 

 some parts of France and Italy, is very considerable indeed. 

 Immense quantities are annually consumed or exported. Perhaps 

 the aggregate amount is as much as that of Pratelles consumed 

 here. In one small market, that of Apt, there are from 3,000 lbs. 

 to 4,000 lbs. of Truffles sold weekly during the season. The annual 

 yield of the Department of Vaucluse alone is stated to exceed 

 60,000 lbs. of Truffles. 



In districts where Truffles are naturally prevalent, a certain 

 amount of cultivation is resorted to, and has proved successful. 

 But whether they can be induced to grow in a new country is as 

 yet uncertain, and no purely artificial mode of raising crops has 

 been devised. The choice Perigord Truffle is of course the kind it 

 would be most desirable to cultivate. It prefers a marly, argil- 

 laceous soil, resting upon chalk and flints. It has a preference for 

 certain trees, notably oaks of three species — quercus rohur, ilex, 

 and coccifera ; and some observers think that, in their early stages 

 of growth. Truffles draw nutriment from the rootlets of these 

 trees. That there is some connection appears almost certain. 

 Our Winter Truffle is found beneath oaks, and our Summer 

 Truffle beneath beeches. Although subterranean. Truffles require 

 light and air. The shade of the trees must not be too dense, and 

 the ground must be free from brushwood. Borders of woods and 

 open glades are the likeliest sites. 



Truffle grounds are prepared by choosing suitable localities, 

 where the soil and timber answer the requirements just mentioned. 

 The ground is cleared, the trees are thinned, and trenches are 

 dug. Truffles are now brought from their native site, inclosed in 

 the earth in which they grew, and are planted in the trenches. 

 In time they propagate, and it is said that grounds have been 

 successfully fertilized in this way. Another mode emjoloyed has 



