FUNGI. 



36 r 



Fig. 838. — Morchclla crassipes. 



in France, but is not much employed in this country, though I have 

 occasionally seen them for sale at Covent Garden Market. 



Mr. Worthington Smith first pointed out 

 that the Morchella crassipes (fig. 838) . was a 

 native of this country. This appears occa- 

 sionally in our garden. 



The Truffle {Tuber cestivum, fig. 854^) 

 is found abundantly at the "Oaks," in the 

 next parish. It is a fungus which grows 

 underground under the shade of certain kinds 

 of trees, preference being given to the beech- 

 tree. It likes a stratum of loam lying 

 over chalk. It is found by persons who 

 specially devote their time to this object. 

 There are but few trufHe-hunters in this 

 country ; nevertheless I found one after some 

 trouble, and persuaded him to take me out for a day's hunt. He 

 had an active little dog, that was trained to find the truffle by scent ; 

 a bit of cheese was given to it whenever it found one. To train the 

 dog at first, a truffle was placed in an old shoe, and its food de- 

 pended on its finding out where it was. When we went out the dog 

 was told to hunt. It immediately ran backwards and forwards, and 

 as soon as it smelt the truffle, scratched the earth with its fore-paws, 

 when its master raised the soil and took it out. In two or three 

 hours we found about three pounds in weight, and during the 

 whole day the dog never made one single false point. The French 

 truffles [T. bituminum) give oft a more poweful odour than the 

 English. At the Palais Royal they fetch fifteen francs a pound, 

 whereas our English tubers are sold for half-a-crown. They have 

 never been successfully grown in gardens, but it is said that in 

 France, by sowing the outside of truffles amongst evergreen oaks 

 they have appeared. 



The Giant Pufif-ball (Lycoperdon giganteum, fig. 839) grows in my 

 garden and in its immediate vicinity. It attains an enormous size 



