Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-04
TO HUNT THE TRUFFLE
American Farm Dogs and Pigs
to Be Trained.
HOW 1T IS DONE ABROAD
Those Engaged in the Business Make
a Good Living.
KING OF FUNGUS EDIBLES
Considered by Epicures Far Superior
to the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ST. Pound.
Oh. the trnfiie. the truffie,
V,}o tr,, flo la tho dish for mo old


Oh the trnfie the trufie
The trufie is the dish for me.-Old song
Dogs and pigs on the farms of the United
States are to have a new vocation, If the
efforts of scientists in the Department OF
Agriculture to Introduce truffle growing
into this country are successful. Several
attempts have been made in the past TO
grow truffies, but they have all failed. NOW
another and more extensive experiment Is
to be made and the agricultural experts
are determined that this time they will not
, give up until they have accomplished their
purpose.
If the hopes Of these men are realized
there will be rush made by the farmers
of certain sections to gather in all the
stray dogs, and the lowly pig will have
another occupation besides that of growing
fat and furnishing hams.
The trufle is without doubt the king OF
fungous edibles. Among epcures it is con-
| sidered far superior to the mushroom. In
deed, that fungus is poor and vapid in
comparison. The prices realized for tfuI-
hes are much higher than for mushrooms
III some cases they command as much as
$50 a pound.
How the Truf1e is Hunted.
In France and Italy and in some parts
| OF tHSlduu Inc itluttSlis e.ipiNo 'AN
occupation of some rural communities, and
those engaged in it derive an excelen;
living In order to pursue the business
| successfully however, 1t is necessary to
possess a pack of trained dogs or pigs, ana.
| in pinch, squirrels. These dogs or pigs
| are trained by hiding truftie, the DOOR
| OF which is very strong and penetratlVe'
and when the dog has found 1t he is re-
warded with food. In this way they learn
| that their livelihood depends upon finding
| the truf1le.
When the dogs have developed the scent
| for truf1es they are taken into the woods
and readily lead the truffie hunter to the
| base of an oak birch, beech or, sometimes,
| pine tree. where. upon digging. the truffie
| will be found near the roots OF the tree
| about foot from the surface.
Pigs are also trained to hunt for trnnies,
| though the seeming instinct of this AMI
NAL needs no development for he possesses
| a natural liking for the fungus and can
| quickly locate spot where the trufies
| lie buried. 1t Is somewhat more difficult
| to train the pig for hunting trufties so that
| it can be or service, because ne mas
| strong taste for the fungus, and is apt
| to devour the tuber before the hunter can
| get hold of 1t. Once pig learns of the
| presence Of truff1es in his neighborhood ne
| becomes very much like the egg-suckinS
| dog. and will sneak Off by himself and de-
YOUR the food
Use of Truff1es.
l
preparation of choice dishes in the best
| class of restaurants, and are a delight to
| the palate of the epicure. All the truffles
used here however, are imported from
/ France In cans, and those who ought to
know declare that in order to get the true
| taste of the esculent one must travel to
| Paris, for. necessarily, the real flavor of the
article is lost in preserving. TruffeS are
| used largely In favoring. the well-known
dish called among epicures pate de foie
/ gras, or. as 1t is known abroad in English
| speaking countries Perigord pie, and is
| sometimes used for stuffng turkeys. They
| impart a very agreeable flavor to the ar
| ticle of food with which they are used.
! giving 1t an odor that Is simply irresistible.
| In Italy they are eaten raw. They are
sliced and dipped In OF; or egg The truffie
| is a solid tuber-like body. ranging In size
| from filbert to a potato. Sometimes one
is found weighing several pounds. There
| are various kinds. as there are various
mushrooms. The white truf1es are some
| what in demand abroad, but 1t is the black
| or queen truff1e that is most desired. THIS
| variety has gray, silver or nearly black
| skin, which Is pebbled or warty. with small
| angular protuberances. The firm interior
| Is of about the same texture as a puffball.
| They thrive best In limestone or light moist
| soils and when found are in groups of ten
| to twenty individuals.
| When young the truff1e has the odor of a
| ripe strawberry, but 1t natures the
| smell resembles garlic, onion or decaying
| cheese.
| The False Trufae.
| In France there is a species known as
| the false truf1e. which is very common on
| the surface of the ground in woods. 1t is
| gathered by the natives in Epping Forest
| for the inferior dining rooms of London
where continental dishes are served These
/ are worthless and even dangerous. In dis
| tricts that are now devoted to truffie hunt
| ing In France it is not uncommon for the
/ hunter to unearth from ten to twelve
| pounds a day, and several districts, from
/ having been poor and barren. have become
| rich and prosperous
| The existence of truffies in any section of
| this country is very doubtful, and the oc-
casional announcement of their discovery is
| due to the finding of Indian bread, a species
| of vegetable fungus resembling in outward
| appearance the trufiie. If the true truffie
| cam be successfully grown In this country
| 1t will quickly develop into extensive and
| profit-giving industry.
! The Agricultural Department has i'm
| ported a large number of trufile oaks, and
about 600 seedlings havr been distributed
| among prospective cultfvators in this coun-
| try. Already there are twenty-five would
| be truffie growers, principally in California
| who have been supplied with seedlings
| These We're brought from France.
Task of Agricultural Department.
/ The experts in the department appreciate
the difficulty of the task they have under
| TAKEN The proper soil and climate are
hard to determine without much expert
mentation. and the growers must be pos
sessed of knowledge which can only be
| impaired after thorough study of the in
/ dustry in France. The attempts heretofore
to cultivate the truff1e have been unsuceess-
full, as the mycelium or spawn. which is the
Ivegetative portion of the plant which allows
mushrooms to be cultivated so readily, has
| not yet been obtained. Trufffes. have been
| produced by sprinkling the earth with
| water In which the parngs OF truff1es have
been STEPPED. and In some parts of France
| plat of soil sown with acorns has yielded
truff1es as soon as the saplings attained q
| few years growth
4 1t is the purpose of the department seien-
lists, when the seedlings they have distrib-
i uted have become sufficiently matured to
make an effort to introduce into the roots