TRUFFLES, ETC. 829 



[Formerly it was fairly common in oak forests in the South of 

 England, and is still found in Sussex and Hampshire, and 

 should be grown extensively in the south-west of Ireland. Tr.] 

 Other species of truffles, especially T. Irumatum ((estirum) 

 and T. excaratum, etc., are less valuable. The importance of 

 truffles may be gathered from the fact that 1,500 tons (worth 

 640,000) are exported annually from France ; in the whole 

 of Germany only about a ton (worth 350) is collected yearly. 



[In the forest of Bedoen, on Mount Ventoux, truffles grow ex- 

 tensively on the roots of Quercns pubescens, their sale having 

 produced 1,500 in 1897, the rate being 3s. to 9s. per Ib. 



In Perigord, land formerly stocked with vineyards is now 

 planted with young oaks for the cultivation of truffles, which 

 grow as a mycorliiza on the oak roots. This is said to pay 

 three to five times as well as vineyards. Whole villages are 

 engaged in this industry, which has now gone beyond the 

 experimental stage. The following recipe for their cultivation 

 is given by de Lesparre in the Rev. dc* F. ft F., 18th September, 

 1898. Take a truffle and dry it thoroughly (in a drawer). 

 When quite dry, it should be bruised into a pulpy paste with 

 water between two pieces of ground glass. This paste should 

 be spread with a paint brush, between July and January, on 

 green leaves of the hazel or oak, which should then be placed 

 in the ground. Eight or nine days later the spores germinate, 

 and the mycelium of the truffle is produced. The soil should 

 be calcareous and the climate suitable for the vine. In 5 or 6 

 years truffles will be produced and must be under the shade 

 of trees. Tr.] 



Among other edible forest fungi, Boletus edulis, Morchella 

 sp. sp., Clavaria, Ilydnum and Cantharellus may be cited. The 

 common mushroom (Agaricus deliciosus) grows rather in 

 meadows than in forests. 



4. Edible Fruits. 



Cranberries and bilberries are the edible fruits most fre- 

 quently collected from forests. In many districts all the 

 children are engaged during the season in collecting these 

 berries, and a large trade is driven in the produce ; there are 

 commercial houses in North Germany which deal with them 



