MUSHROOM GROWING 



in Italy and Spain, from these countries rela- 

 tively few are at present exported. They 

 are found in the temperate and the warm 

 temperate regions of the western part of 

 southern Europe; that is, from Italy west- 

 ward, and from the 40th to the 48th paral- 

 lel. From early times it has been recog- 

 nized that truffles are to be found in close 

 association with the roots of certain trees, 

 especially the evergreen oaks of this region, 

 Quercus ilex, and Q, coccifera also the vel- 

 vety deciduous oak of somewhat wider dis- 

 tribution, Q, sessiliflora. More recently, 

 through the investigations of careful observ- 

 ers, they have also been found in conjunc- 

 tion with the roots of the chestnut, of the 

 pine, it is claimed, and with a long list of 

 other plants characteristic of temperate re- 

 gions in Europe. The natural home, or 

 preferred habitat, so to speak, of the truf- 

 fles, is, however, under the shade of the oak, 

 and no professional truffle hunter would 

 waste time looking elsewhere for these 

 plants in any quantity. 



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