Cultivation of Iriiflies. 427 



mentioned fruit trees. Even in Italy, the delicate white truffle 

 is reared under chestnut trees. 



In most cases, oak leaves, or, at least, the leaves of the horn- 

 beam, are to be had in the neighbourhood, or, at least, at the 

 distance of a few miles. If, however, they are not, which 

 would certainly be a very extraordinary case, a small plantation 

 of youn<^ oaks and hornbeams, that are not too weak, nuist be 

 made a few years before, in a corner of the garden, that the ne- 

 cessary foliage may be obtained from them ; or nurseries of both 

 species of tree be raised from seed, that there may be a pre- 

 vious supply of young trees for planting the truffle bed. This, 

 in most cases, will not be necessary, as the young trees may be 

 obtained in the environs. The preparation of the soil for plant- 

 ations of truffles in large gardens is, when a sufficiency of oak 

 leaves can be had, not difflirent from similar plantations in 

 pleasure grounds, only the earth is more abundantly mixed with 

 oak leaves. When all the previous preparations have been 

 duly made, the truffles are to be planted in the same way that 

 they are in the tall timber woods ; and the new plantation may 

 be somewhat thicker planted with young oaks and hornbeams, 

 so as that they may be the most numerous, viz. in the proportion 

 of two thirds or three fourths. This truffle bed must also, 

 every autun)n, be covered with a layer of oak leaves about a foot 

 thick, that the earth may by degrees impart to the plantations a 

 large quantity of the matter of the oak tree. For the same rea- 

 son, it is very advantageous, if, instead of wood earth, pounded 

 oak bark, or spent bark, that has already been used by the 

 tanners, be made use of; nevertheless, the first is more effica- 

 cious, two thirds or three fourths of it having more efficacy than 

 when the whole is of spent bark. But a heap of soil consisting 

 of a mixture of the two kinds of bark requires a longer time 

 than the usual wood earth for complete decomposition, and for 

 becoming a useful earth. It is necessary, therefore, that it 

 should be prepared, not in the spring, but in the autumn pre- 

 ceding, thereby to give it more time to moulder. 



The truffle beds made in gardens require constant attention, 

 lest they should be overshadowed and exhausted by high-grow- 

 ing plants. All such plants must therefore be early removed ; 

 but the kinds of grass that do not grow too thick may be spared. 

 The truffle plantation must occupy the lowest situation in the 

 garden, that it may not suffer from drought; but, as soon as the 

 ground becomes somewhat dry, it requires to be moistened by a 

 moderate watering. Man, as in all plantations in gardens, 

 fields, and woods, has to contend with many sorts of animals, which 

 force their way into his possessions, and contend for the property 

 which he has assumed. Truffles are also sought for and con- 

 sumed by many animals ; and they are the more easily detected 



