St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-15
PIGS AS TRUFFLE HUNTERS.
They Have a Vigorous Appetite
for This Subterranean MorseI.

AAOJ nave d vigorous hDDetICe
for This Subterranean MorseI.
One OF the most highly-prized of table
delicacieS is the truffie-a sort of round
fungus resembling an oak ball or nut
gall. which grows on the roots of oak
trees near the surface of the ground,
says Youths Companion. In France,
where the best truff1eS are produced,
they are sold at retail for 81 pound
They cannot be cultivated. and are sup
posed to be produced, as oak balls are,
by the sting or prick of an insect, which
causes vegetable sugar to eXude and
form a ball. Mr.. Knowles. the United
States consul at Bordeaux, France, gives
an account in one of his reports of the
singular manner in which truf1es are
obtained tor the market.
The best truffleS are found in oak
forests, where the soil is very sterile. In
appearance they are about as large as a
Walnut, with rough. brown. Wartv
surface, closely akin to the potato. The
truhie being somewhat underneath the
tIr- ace OF the ground, is not easily
found by human beings.
1t is known that the pig has a vigor-
Gus appetite for this Subterranean NOR
sci. 1t is, In fact, passion with the
race; so that. as the day dawns, the pig
IS led to perform duty which. though
highly disappointing to him. is particu-
larly lucrative TO his masters.
AS the scent OF the fox leads hounds
to the trail, so the odOr of truffleS at
tracts the p0rker to the cherished bed.
He shifts about until he locates the
truffie, when he begins to root up the
earth. His master armed with big
stick, watches him closely.
The pig uproots the truffle, but
scarcely has he seized it when down
upon his nose comes the stick III a sharp
blow. With loud squeal he drops the
moist fungus upon the ground. and be-
fore lie can pick it up again it is bagged
by the hunter.
The beast, nothing daunted, presses
on to anoth er spot, where. hidden below
the surface of the ground. are more of
the epicurean dainties. Here the per-
formance is repeated.
After this has been done several
times, the animal, thoroughly disap-
pointed, gives up in disgust and SUBJ
mitS to being led back to his pen; but
on the morrow, thanks to his short
memory and his epicurean enthusiasm,
the pig is ready TO be led forth again,
and experiences once more the same Joy
and pain. hope and disappointment, ex-
pectatiou and defeat.
Recently dogs have been trained to
perform a similar service. but the pig is
still the most talented truffie hunter.
The training to which dogs are sabiect-
ed to suit them for this purpose is very
Interesting.
To begin with. finely cut or sliced
tutfies are mixed daily with their food,
until at last they develop liking for
the delicacy. Afterward their owners
conceal in some portion of field where
truffies are supposed to exist a little tin
dish of meat aud tIutfieS, covering the
dish with a few handfulS of earth.
The dog is then brought out and urged
to hunt for the dish, goaded by an
empty stomach. When at last he finds
it he is caressed and rewarded. AT last
he learns to hunt for the vegetable
itself
Tnere are poachers for truffes as we'll
as for game. They hunt at night, with
dog or pig, and are a great pest to the
landed proprietorS.
Truffies grow in the United States.
but for the most part the pigs are left
to root them up. undisturbed by human
tormentorS and mOnopOliStS.