The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-10-15
rHs sLuslvE IRuEELE.
LittIe Brother OF the Tuber Family and
Its Haunts I'm wilder England.


ITS Haunts I'm wilder England.
J Oak trees or beech trees; these.
1 believe. are the necessaries OF life to
| tuber aestivum; and hidden away in
the recesses OF their roots lie In this
country. probably, trutfies Inuumer-
able.
We cultivate and produce mush-
rooms I'm huge quantities; in season
ana ont. they are i'm full evidence.
! Yet nobody has tried TO cultivate the
! tlufiic. and rarely indeed To secure it.
even when # Is shown 10 exist.
could walk blindfolded to a spot
In private park where I'm my youth
| quantities OF the truffle were found.
and small white poodle. once owned
10y a gypsy. unearthed many n noble
specimen. For twenty years and
more the soil has been undisturbed
underneath those magnificent beech
trees; nobody has sought for truffies
since those days. though there is every
reason to know they must exist The
| inferiority OF the bottled ana import
ed specimen 10 the fresh trufiie as it
energies from Mother Earth seems n
very real reason why the sport OF
truffie hunting should be cultivated.
Yet it is rare indeed to find truffie
dog in existence where everything
points to fne crop OF the savory
relish
Probably many n poodle could be
duly trained. and that without great
difficulty, being an exceptionally i'll
IL In
truttles constitute quite an industry.
the peasants have employed pigs flor
centuries. it is said. trained entirely
by themselves, in the harvest OF the
| truftie.
No doubt pigs have reasons OF their
own and offer small difficulty in this
utilization OF their services. But If
half the trouble were taken on orr
own beech and oak woods. there
seems no doubt that we could our-
selves secure Il good supply
The truffie dog we employed. n small
somewhat leg9y specimen: would UNI
earth sometimes n pound weight.
sometimes much less. And from the
winter season We thus extracted much
pleasure in the dullest part OF the
Dorsetshire rural regions. The dog
must be led, or lie is apt TO roam. and
carefully guided TO likely localities
We began his training by burying
trufhes in garden: his quick powers
or scent soon did the rest. Each time
he found a truffie it was taken from
him. and small piece OF raw beef
gwen him in exchange This was
carried in pieces the size OF a dice i'm
a small box; and from finding a whole
'ruttie he was soon taught to recover
the smallest fragment.
small Spud was taken TO assist
ana direct his labors. Gradually mo
was taken further ifeld. and l can
cali to mind with greatest exactness
the satisfaction with which the educa-
tl0n progressed. The first fish tbe
hfst partridge have not more delight
10 oner than the first trufFie. and fbe
element OF uncertainty attaching 70
all rue sport is naturally predomjn-
ant in hunting.
IranSitory as woodcock-with Iiv.
ing period IN the woods. and n mipra.
ton or departure quite as we'll timed -
,he truihe is generally somewhere at
hand In the chalky soil OF beech
woods in Dorset. Kent. Surrey from
early October to the end OF March
NO doubt from Italy the trained
truffie dog could be obtained. esnecjaI.
~ IN the districts round Spoleto ana
Norcia; or Perugia could be made
headquarters. and abundance Of good
iruihe sport could then be had. Tho
Whlte truttie as well as the black is
round there in abundance. though the
strong aroma of the former is dis.
tasteful to some people. As regards
the black truffie, the scent acts ike
good "spoor'' to the trackcr I'm a
rural region.
Many theories lave been advanced
OF the growth of the truale: probably
1t is fungus attaching itself 10 root
lelS OF the beech and oak tree A.
IorelSh commentator has mentioned
sowing plot of ground with aco,.ns
as Dlantation-a method of secu.-
ing trudies found practicable in Soutb-
erh france. Anyhow. there are nm.
'rled and untraversed acres where
lruiiies must and do exist. As a mar.
het produce of value, and n snort fir
Tor the keenest hunter. there IS no
reason why we should not push Earth
CT me search for specimens Pail