February H, 1M9. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOBTIODLTUBB AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



97 



returned from a Bcientiflo journey tbrougbout France for that 

 particular purpose, told us that the TruHle is by no means 

 confined to any particular localities in France, althouRli certain 

 districts, such as I'erigord, have Innp eince acquired a great 

 lame for its production. The TrnlTle is to be found here and 

 there in by far the greater number of the " departements " as 

 lar north as Paris, which is about its most northern limit ; and, 

 as a general rule, " icltcrevcr the Vine icill grow it iiill ijrow 

 aho." The only sine qua nnn of its existence is a calcareous 

 soil ; the more so a soil is the more suitable it is to the Truflle, 

 and rice vcrsii : in siliceous, argillaceous, or other soils con- 

 taining no limestone, the Truffle is never found, and will not 

 grow. Throughout those districts where the Truffle is culti- 

 vated, either the Evergreen Oak or the Pubescent Oak (Quercus 

 oerris), is made use of. In the northern zone, where the 

 Evergreen Oak will not live, the Pubescent Oak is that used. 



The acorns are sown in rows about a yard asunder, each row 

 from 10 to 13 feet apart. At the end of the third year the Truffles 

 begin to appear, and such Oaks as are without them are the 

 first chosen for thinning-out. A great essential in the culti- 

 vation of the Truffle being plenty of light and air at the roots 

 of and around the Oaks, according as the trees grow these 

 must be thinned out. A circular space, destitute of grass, and 

 exhibiting a peculiar dryness and friability of soil, is the sure 

 sign of a Truffle bed ; this circle widens as the tree grows and 

 its roots are protruded further from the trunk ; so that the 

 Truffles, which with the quite young tree may actually be found 

 tinder the stem, will on the old one be several yards from the 

 trunk. The Truffles follow and are co-existent with the radicles 

 and spongioles — in other words, with the extremities of the 

 roots ; and if the tree be close to others on any of its sides, 

 they will always be found on the open side — that most exposed 

 to the air. Notwithstanding this, from his own experience and 

 from the opinions of all the best Truffle-growers, and in fact 

 from the universal opinion of all countryfolk acquainted with 

 the subject, M. Chatin has come to the conclusion that all 

 theories of the Truffle being either a parasite on the Oak roots, 

 or the work of a fly on the roots of this tree, are wholly falla- 

 cious. As a rule, the Truffle is never in contact with the roots 

 — as an exception a rootlet may be found embedded in one, 

 but it has no physiological part with it, and is merely enclosed 

 accidentally in the growing tubercle, as a straw, a stone, or any 

 other extraneous body might be ; and he here mentioned the 

 case cited in Pliny of a Enman emperor, who broke one of his 

 teeth, while eating a TrnOle, against a coin embedded in it. 



M. Chatin calls the Truffle a Mushroom, having all the com- 

 ponent parts of a true plant, and also bearing seed ; but he 

 positively declares that the Truffle never has been propagated 

 by planting either pieces of or whole Truffles ; that these will 

 never increase in size, and never produce others ; that the 

 only way to cause Truffles to grow where they never grew 

 before, is to sow the acorns of an Oak having had Truffles 

 growing at its base. How the Truffle is propagated through 

 the acorn he did not pretend to say, but such was the fact. 

 This is the mode of culture followed by hundreds who make a 

 handsome living by it, and by which poor bad land, hitherto 

 yielding barely 30 francs, by sowing here and there a little 

 barley, now regularly yields 80Uf. and more of Truffles annually. 

 M. Chatin confined himself entirely to Truffles in France, but 

 it is to be presumed that the same rule as to cUmate and soil 

 would hold good as regards any other country. — Frederick 

 Paimer, Versailles. 



Strawberries I pack in the same way as Peaches, but without 

 divisions in the trays, and I wrap each fruit in a Strawberry 

 leaf. For Pines I have boxes made with two divisions to hold 

 throe fruit. — J. C. il. 



PACKING FRUIT. 



SIy system of packing Grapes in large quantities is to secure 

 a strong hamper, well-line the inside with paper, puttiag a 

 coat of moss at the bottom, and cover with thin tissue paper. 

 I then pack the Grapes in firmly without paper, cover the first 

 layer with paper, gently press down dry moss, and run some 

 Bticks over the top through the hamper. Let the sticks be 

 inserted so that the bottom layer cannot move ; then proceed 

 with another layer. Grapes thus packed have been sent from 

 one of the midland counties to the London fruiterers without 

 a complaint. Packing the bunches closely together does not 

 deface the bloom so much as wrapping in paper. 



For packing Peaches, I had a box made with trays to lift out ; 

 one tray would hold two dozen Peaches, and there were par- 

 titions to divide each Peach from the rest. The fruit was 

 wrapped in silver paper, and packed round with wadding. The 

 wadding will last a long time. I never had a complaint of a 

 single fruit being damaged. 



THE ROYAL HORTICUIVrURAL SOCIETY'S 

 ANNU.VL GENERAL Ml^ETING. 



Another horticultural year has past, and a new one begun — 

 begun, we trust, in circumstances of not less hope, but a great 

 dual more cheering, than have characterised its two predecessors. 

 The great calamities that paralysed the commercial prosperity 

 of the country, and brought ruin and penury to many a house- 

 hold, necessarily affected the interests of all things horticul- 

 tural, as well as every other that partakes more of a luxury 

 than a necessity. AH commercial horticulturists can testify to 

 this fact, and what alTected them, and nllected kindred institu- 

 tions to a far greater extent, has made its impreesion on the 

 Eoyal Horticultural Society. 



It is gratifying, however, to know that the extent to which 

 this has operated has been in a great measure of a trivial 

 character, when we consider the alarming deficits in the re- 

 venue to which the Society was not so long ago obliged to sub- 

 mit, and which filled the stoutest-hearted Fellow with alarm. 

 By the statements of the balance-fheet, which we publish in 

 a subsequent page, it appears that the balance against the 

 Society is £1171) 5s. lOd., from which is to be deducted £945 

 of good assets in the form of subscriptions and garden produce 

 not paid, leaving the deficit on the year £231 5s. 10</., a very 

 modest sum certainly when all the circumstances are con- 

 sidered. 



Betnrning prosperity has already net in, and it may be 

 reasonably expected that it will reach all horticultural interests* 

 We hear from nurserymen on all hands that " they never 

 were so busy." If, then, the change has already begun, we 

 cannot doubt but that the Society will this year recover what 

 it has already lost, and add a great deal more. 



In the Council that has been elected we have a reasonable 

 guarantee that the prestige of the Society is not on the wane, 

 and that its affairs will be administered with that prudence 

 and judgment which alone can insure success. The election 

 ofiPrince Teck, and His Serene Highness's consent to serve not 

 only as a member of Council, but as a Vice-President, are evi- 

 dence not only of the interest that ho takes in the Society's 

 welfare, but also of a continuance of the warm attachment his 

 Koyal Consort has always manifested towards everything tend- 

 ing to its prosperity. We cannot doubt but that the new bond 

 will secure even more frequent visits of Her Eoyal Highness to 

 the shows and meetings of the Society, to which her cheerful 

 presence contributes so much. Lord Londesborough is one 

 more addition that will give strength. His Lordship's well- 

 known devotion to horticulture, and especially to Orchid culture, 

 recommends him as a very fit member of such a body ; and 

 in Mr. Dix the Society has the satisfaction of hailing the 

 return of one of its most tried friends. 



The only subjects that came up for discussion on Tuesday 

 were some remarks made by Mr. Godson on the general 

 management of the Society. Be did not make any special 

 allusion, nor objected to anything in particular, but merely 

 counselled caution. Mr. Godson stood as signalman, exhibit- 

 ing the green light. Happily the days are gone when green 

 lights are needed ; but Mr. Godson did good service at a 

 time when a red and not a green light was the signal. Dr. 

 Masters made some observations on the infrequency and irre- 

 gularity with which the Journal appeared, a subject which 

 many of the FeUows regret. But looking at the cost attend- 

 ing the production of previous Journals, the few who really 

 read them, and the facilities and rapidity with which the 

 Society's proceedings are reported in this and other public 

 papers, the Society may be pardoned for exercising, during a 

 period of great depression, a prudent economy in this matter. 

 We shall be delighted to see the time arrive when the Council 

 will see their way to resume the regular and frequent publica- 

 tions of a Journal which shall be worthy of the Society ; but 

 rather than have a fitful organ which no one ever knows when 

 it may be expected, or when it may be defunct, better have 

 none at all, and be satisfied with things as they are. The 

 Council might have, it is true, kept up a Journal during the 

 past year. There was abundance of matter of great horti- 

 cultural interest wherewith to fill it ; but the production of it 

 ^ would have added a good £300 to the year's deficit. There is 



