The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-04-23
TruMeS.

Very little is generally known about
the mysterious article called the trufie,
which belongs to the vegetable kingdom,
but does not give the least sign of vege-
tation either in or out Of the ground, and
has 80 far baffled all efforts made to cul-
tivate it. 1t grows in the south OF
France, and also i'm Italy and Spain
but that in the two last-named countries
Is of an entirely different nature from
the French variety. 1t is white, and has
but small portion of the high flavor of
the black French article so highly priced
by every epicure. The truffie is found
under three species Of trees only-the
tiibert, and the white and red oak 1.-THE
last two in PARTICULAR, and of late the
farmers and others Of the county of Peri.
cord have found it profitable to sow the
white and red acorn for the sole object
of raising trufles.
The young plants will procure truffles
the fifth or sixth year, and often the crop
Of the tenth year is sufficient to remu-
nerate the farmer tor all the labor and
interest invested. The finding of truf-
fles would be due to mere luck or hard
labor, ii it were not for the keen scent Of
the soWs, which, in this strange hunt,
are trained to take replace of the faith
full potaater dog, some arriving at such a
degree of education that they bring very
hieh prices. Sows trained for hunting
truffies are fed entirely on acorns (never
anything else) J, and during the season,
once day only-after the days work is
over. Rain in July or August is gener-
ally the precursor of q good crop. The
truffle begins to form in July. In Au-
gust it has reached the size of a tilbert,
and will crack the ground if the weather
is dry.
This admits the air, and is prejudicial
to the quality. 1t is only in the begin
ming of November that it has arrived at
It's regular size (that of large hens
egg) and begins to rlpen. From dull
white it now turns to a marble gray, be-
coming quite dark in December, and
black as ebony and ripe in January.
Truffies are found from six to ten inches
below the surface. Those nearest are
sometimes hurt by frost, though not
often, in the mild climate Of the south of
France. Trufile-hunting is specially,
and the men devoted to it depend on the
short season of forty to fifty days to earn
enough to take care of themselves and
their sows the rest Of tho year. The
hunter can not employ his time az any
thing else.
He has all he can do to gather, every
day, the necessary supply OF acorns
needed by his useful animal. Hunters
generally start the day after Christmas.
The whole outfit consists OF the sow,
fastened by the hind leg, ore bag con-
and acorns for the SOW, another bag
ready to receive the trufles, a blanket
and a cane. The poor brute being led
away, seems delighted, well knowing
that it will be paid Tor every truffle that
| it finds. They are no sooner in the
woods than the SOW IS let loose and be.
1 gins to hunt, the man keeping close
watch behind. The sow will 60 slowly
over.the ground, and never root until il
scents the precious vegetable. Then
the skill of the hunter is required, for he
i must be ready to strike the sow on the
l sn0ut the moment the truff1e is In sight.
| The animal will retire with groan.
The man then picks up and bags the
trufies, and gives the poor animal one
or two acorns for his trouble. Man and
sow stay out in the woods until driven
away by hard storm or by want OF pro
visions, in which case they sop at the
nearest farmhouse and deposit the re.
suit of their labor SO far. Having rested
and gathered the necessary acOrns, they
start again, and keep doing the same
until the tuber has disappeared from the
ground in the same mysterious manner
us it came. The preparation OF the article
| is very simple. 1t is. carefully washed
and crushed. Some are peeled; Others
are left in their natural state. All are
boiled just once, then put in tin cans
adding wine-glass Of white wine te
keep them moist. The cans, after being
Dramatically sealed, are submitted t1
. second boiling to insure preservation
lTruf1es are then ready to be shipped tc
any climate, and appear on the table o
lgourmanas the world oyer. -,