Tuber magnatum, Pied-montese Truffle; T. Borchii, Italy; T. moschatum, Musk Truffle, near Bath ; T. cibarium, Common Truffle, England. But besides the tubers there are other edible fungi known as truffles, viz., Hy-drobolites tulasnei, Spye Park, Wilts; Melagonaster Broomeianus, Red Truffle, near Bath.

These edible fungi have not yet been cultivated in England, though the Prussians have succeeded in making them a garden tenant, and Comte de Borch has been equally successful in Italy. The latter cultivates the Piedmont Truffle, and his process is this: - He either employs the soil where the truffle is found, or he prepares an artificial soil of seven parts good garden earth; two, well pulverized clayey soil; and one, oak sawdust - intimately mixed. Decayed oak or beech leaves would be better probably than the sawdust. If the natural soil was used, he trenched it two feet, removing all the large stones, and adding oak sawdust, if necessary, and about one-tenth of powdered snail shells, if the soil was too stiff.

"Choosing an aspect rather exposed to the north than the south, where no reflected rays could fall upon it, with every precaution to insure its being thoroughly soaked with pure rain-water, and after waiting a day or two till it was in a proper state of moisture, he made rows half a foot deep, and in these, at six inches distance, he placed good and sound truffles, each of them being surrounded with two or three handfuls of oak sawdust, taking care to mark the rows accurately. Ridges were then made over each row, to prevent the truffles being injured by too abundant moisture. The bed was then left till the following autumn, with no other precaution than, in dry weather, to take care that it did not become too dry. The result, we are informed, was an abundant harvest, every year, from October to January." - Gard. Chron.

Bradley, writing, in 1726, of the cultivation of the truffle in England, says that -

"The truffle may be easily cultivated where there are woods or coppices of oak or hazel, and where the soil is not too stiff, or inclining to chalk. The soil where they are most found is a reddish sandy loam; this will then be the best for our purpose, especially if it has lain long uncultivated. When we are thus provided with the proper soil, we must be sure to let it lie undisturbed till we are ready to plant, which will be in the months of October, November, and December, if the weather be open; for then the truffles are to be found in their full ripeness, and then, likewise, one may find them in a state of putrefaction, which is the time when the seeds are prepared for vegetation. It is in the last state that one ought to gather truffles for planting, or at least they should be in perfect ripeness.

"The proper soil, and these rotten truffles, being found, we may begin our work as follows: - Open a spot of ground, of a convenient space, and take out the earth about eight inches deep, and screen it, that it may be as fine as possible; then lay about two or three inches thick of this fine earth at the bottom of the trench or open ground, and upon it lay some of the overripe truffles, about a foot and a half distance from one another; and, as soon as possible, prepare a thin mud, made of the screened earth and water, well stirred and mixed together, and pour it on the truffles till the open ground is quite filled up. By this means, in a few hours, the ground will be as closely settled about the truffles as if it had never been dug or disturbed at all, and you may expect a good crop in due time. You must, however, take care to choose your spots of ground in woods or coppices, or such places as are shaded with trees. Their favorite tree is the oak, or the ilex or evergreen oak, as the elm is the favourite of the Morille.

"Notwithstanding these statements, it is quite certain that, at present, the art of cultivating the truffle is not known in England; and it will remain unknown, probably, until we have discovered how its spawn can be prepared, as for cultivating the mushroom." - Gard. Chron.

Mr. Gower says he recommended an old truffle-hunter "to bury, at the proper depth, some of his truffles that were in a state of decay and unfit for the table, under one of the unproductive trees sufficient in stature and in umbrageous development. At the beginning of next winter, when his visit was repeated, he sought for Mr. G., and told him, with great satisfaction, that the scheme had answered; for he had found two or three pounds of excellent truffles beneath the hitherto barren tree. By following this example, proprietors of trees adapted to truffles, and where the proper trees have been planted, may, in a short period, do that which a lapse of years, unassisted, would not effect.

"Of all trees the cedar of Lebanon is the most favourable to the growth of the truffle." - Gard. Chron.