Cidtivntion of Truffles. 429 



defective, or to the impossibility of completing a good one. 

 These worms may be the cause that all labour and expense were 

 applied in vain. That plantations which are new are the most 

 exposed to these enemies is easy to be explained. ;The earth is 

 not yet sufficiently penetrated by the tannin of the oak, which 

 is offensive to these kinds of insects, and drives them away. 

 They are usually brought here by the dung-earth, especially 

 when it contains parts that are not entirely converted into soil. 

 For this reason, the frequent turning of the heap of earth is 

 necessary. If, when this takes place, it be observed that many 

 worms have established themselves in it, only let there be 

 mixed in it some unslaked lime, or ashes that have not been 

 lixiviated, which will speedily kill these animals. For this pur- 

 pose, the heap must be strewed with a thin layer of lime or 

 ashes, and then well stirred. The earth may also, some time 

 before the making of the truffle plantation, be shot into a hot 

 place, and be completely dried; by which means all the worms 

 will be destroyed : but, in this case, before making the plant- 

 ation, the earth must be sufficiently moistened ;' and, from the 

 drying which it has undergone, it will be found to have lost a 

 considerable part of its efficacy in manuring. 



If, by accident or mistake, the first planting of truffles should 

 not succeed, there is only by this a whole or half a year's time 

 lost; but the bed itself has gained, since, by means of the de- 

 cayed oak leaves, a richer matter has been imparted to the earth, 

 so that the truffles removed to it in the succeeding autumn or 

 spring will succeed better and produce greater numbers. It is 

 advisable, before the repeated planting of the fungi, to dig over 

 the place destined for them and to manure it well with oak 

 leaves. If there be time enough from the moment of the dis- 

 covery of the failure of the plantation, to the time of replanting 

 it, this manuring with oak leaves may be twice, or oftener, 

 repeated. Too much matter from oak trees cannot be accumu- 

 lated upon the plantation ; since experience informs us that the 

 taste of truffles growing wild in the woods is more delicate and 

 aromatic in proportion as they have stood nearer to oak trees, 

 and have grown in their shade. The same experience has been 

 repeated in the case of artificial plantations of truffles. He 

 who bestows much diligence and great care upon such plant- 

 ations will secure to himself, in a few years, a rich harvest of 

 well-tasted tubers, and may thank the author of this small 

 treatise for having helped him to obtain them. 



[Our readers will find a short review of the French trans- 

 lation of this work in our first Volume, p. 320; and some ob- 

 servations on the culture of the truffle in Vol. II. p. 480., Vol. 

 III. p. 102., and Vol. IV. p. 262.] 



