18 OAK TRUFFLES. 



that purpose he planted evergreen and common oaks, the acorns having 

 been chosen from the oaks around which the production of truffles appeared 

 the greatest. In the furrows made by the plough he planted the seeds, 

 separated about four metres apart, and nearly touching in the furrows. 



In his new plantations he has given six metres in width to his lines of 

 oaks, and they are sown less thick. In the fourth year of the plantation, 

 they found three truffles in the earth ; but it is not more than six years 

 since the commencement of the harvest. At present the oaks are nine 

 years old, and one me"tre in height. 



During the year 1854, in the summer, there were obtained 15 kilo- 

 grammes of truffles ; in 1855, the summer having been dry, the quantity 

 obtained was rather less. 



A sow is employed to search for the truffles. At the distance of 

 twenty feet she scents the truffles, and makes rapidly for the foot of the 

 oak, where she finds them, and digs into the earth with her snout. 

 She would soon root up and eat her treasure, were she not turned aside 

 by a light stroke of the stick on her nose, and given an acorn or a 

 dry chesnut, which is her reward. In an hour we had gathered about 

 1 kilogramme of truffles in a poor part of the field sown with oak. 



M. Rousseau marked with white paint the foot of the oaks where the 

 truffles were found, so as to obtain from them acorns for the new 

 sowing, and also not to sacrifice the trees when he cleared the woods. 



I have often remarked that it is to the oaks marked in the preceding 

 manner that the sow always applies herself: it does not, then, appear 

 doubtful that they are individually more fit to produce this tubercule, and 

 it is not without reason that they have been given the name of oak truffles. 

 But, as all the oaks of this sowing produce the acorns of the oak truffles, 

 we cannot regard this property as hereditary, and holding to one variety. 

 It is purely individual. 



The plantation of M. Rousseau contains evergreen and common oaks. 

 One cannot, however, gather the truffles at the foot of the latter species, it so 

 happening that it arrives later at the state of production, being less favour- 

 ably situated : in fact, it receives a part of the shadow of a neighbouring 

 house. M. Fabre has told me that, at Bordeaux, M. de Rouvrade had a planta- 

 tion of oaks which covered a hill to the south and to the north, but had 

 never found truffles on the northern part. The common oak, however, 

 produces truffles, like the evergreen oak, for a great number of natural 

 truffle-grounds at Vaucluse are planted with common oaks. 



It is remarked that the truffles produced from these are larger but lesa 

 regular than those of the evergreen oak, which are smaller, . but nearly 

 always spherical. The truffles are gathered at two periods of the year: in 

 May only white truffles are to be found, which never blacken, and have 

 no odour ; they are dried, and sold for seasoning. The black truffles 

 commence forming in June, enlarging towards the frosty season ; then 

 they become hard and take all their perfume. They are dug up a month 

 before and a month after Christmas. There is not the slightest doubt but 



