128 



The Ottawa Naturalist. | October 



BOOK NOTICE 

 Botany — The Artificial Cultivation of Truffles 

 Boulanger, M. Emile. Germination de I'Ascospore de la 

 Trnffe: 4to. pp. 20, 20 plates, Paris, P>ance, !903. 



Until quite recently, as may be seen in books of botany, the 



early stages of the Truffles were unknown. This, however, owing 



to the skill and careful work of the author of the above pamphlet, 



is no longer the case. Mr. Boulanger has recently given u> the 



results of his patient scientific studies on the germination of the 



spores of two species of edible truffles, and there is no doubt that, 



before long, developments of great economic importance in the 



cultivation of these fungi may be the outcome of his studies. One 



of the species used by Mr. Boulanger in his investigations is the 



Black-spored Truffle [Tuber melanosporum), which is the truffle 



most highly valued by epicures ; the other the Hook-bearing 



Truffle {T. uncinatiim), although also edible, is less esteemed. 



The author in 1898 first obtained the germination of the spores 

 in sterilized water, and from these, on slices of cooked carrots 

 sunk in the earth, he jjrew the mycelium or spawn. This was 

 afterwards produced on the earth itself and on other media ; then, 

 finally, from the mycelium he succeeded in growing fully deve oped 

 truffles in his laboratory. These, it is true, lacked the character- 

 istic taste and smell which give truffles their gastronomic value ; 

 and, moreover, they were misshapen ; but. nevertheless, they were 

 true adult perithecia oS. Tuber uncinaium containing normal asci. 



The next step was to try the practical cultivation of the fungi 

 in the open air under the conditions in which truffles grow in 

 nature. This was done in 1910 on seven acres of an old oak forest 

 at Etampes, near Paris ; pieces of raw carrot impregnated with 

 the spawn were buried at the base of oak t'ees and a special fer- 

 tilizer (b per cent, potas^um sulphate and 6 per cent, superphos- 

 phate of lime) applied on the surface of the soil. On the 7th May, 

 1903, specimens of truffles of the second crop from these cultures 

 were exhibited by Mr, Boulanger at the meeting of the Mycological 

 Society of Francec These specimens grown under natural con- 

 ditions out of doors, it may be remarked, had the fully developed 

 aroma and taste of commercial truffles, although, as stated above, 

 those grown in the laboratory from similar stock did not develope 

 those important characteristics. 



Two fine plates accompany the pamphlet and show the spores 

 m the different stageb of germination This work is an important 

 contribution both to science and horticulture. J. A. G. 



