The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-04-09
TRUFFLES IN ENGLAND.
A Spot That Is Famed for Its Much
Esteemed Fungus.

An ingenious school board child once
defined a radish as round and red, eX-
cept when it was long and white. Sim
iiarly the truffie may be described as
round and black, except when it is oval
and yellow. 1t possesses a peculiar,
penetrating, pungent odor, and flavor
which has been compared to almost
every known edible, but which is, in
point of fact, distinct and peculiar to
itself. "A truffle,'' as a famous CASTRO
nomic expert sagely remarked, tastes
like q truffle, ard like nothing else I'M
der the SUM-" The late Lord BeaconS-
field, who, strangely enough, detested
truff1es, is reported to have described
them as looking like rotten potatoes
and tasting like bad lucifer matches"
The best truffles come from Perigord,
near Bordeaux, and from place called
Carpentras, which is in the neighbour
hood of Marseilles. To the peasant who
resides in these districts the black,
graduated, nutlike root is everything
board, lodging, fuel and clothing
From the end of November, when the
harvest begins, until the middle OF
March, when it ends, he hunts for truf-
fles morning. noon and night with a
praiseworthy diligence which leaves lit
tie to be desired. During the remainder
of the year he divides his time pretty
equally between indulging in piously
worded regrets that the harvest was
not more bountiful and attempting to
forecast the quantities which will be
available for gathering during the en-
suing season.
The fungus grows and ripens at
depth of from eight to twelve inches be-
meath the surface of the ground, and is
hunted by dogs specially trained to the
work. \ good dog will often unearth
800 or 400 truffics in a day; and during
the season it is no uncommon thing for
an expert hunter VINO understands his
business and has q knowledge of the
localities where the root is to be found
TO make as much as thee and four
pounds daily. In addition to the dogs,
pigs are also used to smell out the hid
ing places of the truffles, but experience
has shown that they are not so reliable.
besides being far more difficult to
r~ain.
England takes considerable proper
ton of the French crop, the price on
the London market varying from six
shillings to two guineas pound. \ Sc
ries of severe frosts kills the fungus. or,
at all events, prevents it from ripening;
and truffles are then extremely scarce
and proportionately dear. Last wear,
- I, lSl
to be had. either for love or money. and
n number of lots were sold wholesale
toward the close of the season at 30
shillings a pound. This year the same
truf1les would probably not fetch more
than fifth of that sum.
In addition to the true French truffle
there are considerable quantities of
English ones on the marlct-nlore. in
fact than the dealers care TO admit.
Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Dorsetshire
are where they are generally found,
and it is legend to this day among the
country people engaged in the business
that the existence of the underground
root in their neighborhood was first
made known to their ancestors many
years ago by a foreigner who came
among them from no one knew whence,
accompanied by two iong-haired dogs
OF the poodle variety.
EppiEg forest. once famous for Is
trrffles. is now destitute of the snccr-
lent root, and the same remark applies
to Hadleighewoods and the forest coun-
try around Barnet-Londcn Answers.
DeIying Her Sex.
First Little Girl-And isn't your cat
afraid of mice?
Second Little Girl--Ot. no; rot sin
gle bit.
That's queer. Ard sizes 6 lalT catr