New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-03
HOW TRUFFLES GROW.
RECENT INVESTIGATIONS SHOW THAI
THEY MAY BE CULTIVATED
SUCCESSFULLY
From The Pail Mall Gazette.

monty known as the Due de Lesparre, whatever
may be his hereditary claims to rank in a cCun-
try which Processes to have abolished all titular
distinctions most certainly deserves the highest
honOrS that IL is in the power Of cosmopolitan
gastronomy to confer. Instead of wasting his
time over reactionary politics or sporting adj
ventures, this illustrous scion of the house OF
Folk has devoted the best years Of his life TO
the patient study OF the Tuber cibarum, and
especially to that variety of the esculcnt which
is known TO science as Tuber melanosporum.
and to cookery as Ia truffe de Perigord. We will
cndeavor to summarize the results OF his fruit
full Investigations as they were communicated q
few days ago to the Academic des Sciences.
Hitherto the trufTle, however keenly appreci-
ated, has been little understood. 1t has been re-
gardcd. so to speak. as fer1 nature OF the
vegetable world. One would no more have
thought Of cultivating it than Of DEMONSTRATING
the snipe or the woodcock 1t was not picked
or gathered. but was hunted by the aid Of dogs
or pigs trained for the purpose. Even the most
learned botaniStS could only give vague in
formation as to its origin and propagation.
Perhaps indeed. the mystery that enshrouded
its existence added something to the attraction
Of ats subtle yet penetrating aroma, and I'M
qucstionabiy tended to enhance its market
price.
The Due de Lesparre has with elaborate pains
traced the genesis OF the truli'e step by step
throughout the cycle OF its obscure permuta-
tons. and no phase of its existence has any
longer the smallest secret for US. Tho whole
story is laid bare clearly that Of the silk
worm or the Tania soum In describing a
circle il does not much matter where we begin,
but 1t may be as well to start with the fungus
In the form familiar to us, especially as tho
scalpc and the microscope had already fur
rishc1 some Information about this organism
We knew, for instance, that within its interior
were minute cells or bags (ascD. and that these
contained quantities of still more minute black
spores or seeds invisible singly to the naked
eye. Late IN summer. or perhaps earlier, these
. cells burst. and the spores released. one
might suppose that they then terminated at
once In their native soil, and so gave rise TO
fIa
the false analogy of the potato appearing to
strengthen this view. Dame Nature. however.
goes 70 work In far more roundabout fashion.
These tiny spores spOridS have much to go
through before they fulfil their destiny First
Of all They must find their way 10 the surface
of tho soil, and this - one reason why the truue
de Ptrigcrd onl! iiourishes in very light loans
or sandy ground. Then. on reaching the upper
air the little black specks lie about until a
bird an insect or a gust Of wind carries them
10 the haven where they would be. The leaf OF
an oak, hazel. "A pine or of any tree. indeed.
that has corrugated foliage. sufices to satisfy
their modest ambition. for they only need some
airy goal 10 which their roughened edges can
cling
once established. they enter about the be-
ginning OF December. when the leaves have
fallen. upon another phase Of life. Each OF
these microscopic entities is male or female:
and the former soon begin TO throw out slender
translucent threads having at their ends a
/ pscudo-spOre full Of formulating plasm. by
some weird instructive process these threads
find out the spores Of the other sex, which occa-
sionally II Is said 30 halfway 70 meet them,
though this may be mere SANDER Of masculine
science. Anyhow. their vapd vegetable loves'
having been thus adjusted. tho male spore de-
parts this life hut the female sporc lives on for
six or even nine months 10 give birth 10 a
numerous family. which. 10 distinguish them
from their parents. are called telcutospores.
The brood then falls 10 earth and. penetrating
beneath the surface. forms the spawn, or my
crlium. from which the much-priZed tuber
SPRINGS So far as We gather from the Duo
d. Lesparre's reported statements. about a
year Is required to complete the cycle, but the
output Of spores does not appear 10 hc limited 10
a few weeks or even months. The primary ger
mination may tax" place at any time from De-
ccmbcr h. February. bat the telcutospores never
show earlier than the middle Of October.
To come TO the practical issue OF these re-
Searches II is obvious that by adopting aru-
fetal methods TO countcract the wasi"fulness
~ nature we may preserve a far greater mum
Der OF the doomed seeds than are no" hr"ueht
~ boar IN To- the present time the truille has
shown preference for the oak, because that
tree happens casually TO grow In the districts
and soils that favor It's development. but the
foliage Of many other trees IS better adapted 10
Tho task Of providing "A bridal bower and a
nursery for the tiny spores. Nor Is there any
reason why they should not be aruhciaiiy
nursed and propagatcd As successfully as the
nva OF the trout. the salmon and the oyster.
Henri " expressed pious wish e. see a fowl
i'm every French peasants pot on SUNDAY " men
Henri has his turn he may be able 10 promise
a poularde truffte instead OF mere harhuoU,
monte and long before that era the truine VIII
have found a place in the costers barrow 10y the
side of the tomato. the banana. the plneapp'e
and other vegetable delicacics when never APP
prarcd save upon aristocratlc tables ia lh' u.! "
~ nur rrand(a fathers "Truffcs champagne
may still remain inaccessible to the horny .
handed sons Of toll. but the delicate aroma or
this eccentric tubcr need not be confined 10 'me
pala,es Of those who can afford 10 pay u shh-
lings a pound for the luxury