Cultivation of Truffles. 413 



perdon Tuber L. \Tuher cibdrium Sibth., 116 



^g. 116.']). — Of a round form, more or 

 less approaching to that of a sphere, or 

 of an egg, or sometimes kidney-shaped, and 

 somewhat rough with protuberances. The 

 colour of the surface is, when it is young, 

 whitish ; but in those that are full grown, it is either blackish, or 

 a deep black. The colour of the inside is whitish, with dark 

 blue and white, grey, reddish, light brown, or dark brown 

 veins, of the thickness of a horse-hair, which are usually vari- 

 ously entangled, and which form a kind of network, or mat. 

 Between the veins are numerous cavities, filled with a great deal 

 of mucilage and small solid grains. These scarcely visible 

 glands were formerly said to be the seeds or germs of the young 

 truffles. The less the inside of the truffle is coloured by dark 

 veins, the more tender and delicious is its flesh. The blackish 

 external rind is hard, and very rough, by means of fine fissures, 

 grains, and protuberances ; and forms, with its small facets, 

 which are almost hexagonal, an appearance by which it some- 

 what resembles the fir-apples of the larch. 



Whilst the truffle is young, its smell resembles that of putrid 

 plants, or of moist vegetable earth. When it first approaches 

 the point of time at which it has attained its full growth, it dif- 

 fuses an agreeable smell which is peculiar to it, resembling that 

 of musk, but which lasts only a few days ; it then becomes 

 stronger, and the nearer the funfjus is to its death and its disso- 

 lution, which speedily ensues, so much the more unpleasant and 

 urinous is the smell, till at last it is quite disagreeable and 

 putrid. Whilst young, the flesh is watery, and its taste insipid : 

 when fully formed, its firm flesh, which is like the kernel of 

 the almond and the nut, has an extremely aromatic and delicious 

 taste ; but as soon as the fungus begins to decay, and worms and 

 putrescence to attack it, its taste is bitter and disagreeable. 



Wherever truffles are produced, there they are to be found 

 the whole year through, from the beginning of spring till late in 

 autumn ; but in the greatest plenty from towards the end of the 

 month of August to the latter end of October. They thrive 

 extremely, like all fungi, in warm moist autumns, and are then 

 most delicious. After warm continuing showers, they are found 

 nearer the surface of the soil, sometimes so high that they form 

 little hemispherical mounds of earth, in which small clefts are 

 produced by the sun's rays. If the soil is loose, and dry weather 

 succeeds, the earth which was raised up falls down, and the truffle 

 is seen half-uncovered. Nevertheless, these truffles are of small 

 value, as they are generally either dead or worm-eaten. 



The favourite habitat of truffles is a somewhat moist light 

 wood-soil, which is defended from the immediate effect of the 



