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Two Esculents Par Excellence: Savarin

Savarin, above all writers, has considered the truffle philosophically in his comparatively brief reference; and although he failed to answer the question, "What 1 "Dela Truffe, Traite Complet de ce Tubercle, contenant sa Description et son Histoire Naturelle la plus détaillée, son Exploitation Commerciale et sa Position dans l'Art Culinaire; suivi d'une Quatrième Partie contenant les meilleurs moyens d'employer les truffes en apprêts culinaires; les meilleures méthodes d'en faire des conserves certaines ; les indications, recettes et moyens les plus positifs et les plus compliqués sur tout ce qui concerne cette substance; par M. M. Moynier. Paris, Barba. 1836." pp. 400. is the truffle, how is it produced, and how does it grow?" he has still appraised its virtues in his own inimitable way. That it is digestible has been amply proven before, and this point did not require his researches to substantiate. The only charges that history records against it are gluttony in eating it, and the fact that Lartius Licinius, a person of prætorian rank, while minister of justice at Carthage in Spain, upon biting a truffle found a denarius inside, which cost him the loss of a tooth-a proof to Pliny that it was nothing but an agglomeration of elementary earth. Of certain attributes it is supposed to possess, the sixth Meditation of the "Physiology," to which the reader is referred, will speak clearly for itself; and it will be sufficient to transcribe the conclusion of the learned chancellor's deductions: "La truffe n'est point un aphrodisiaque positif; mais elle peut en certaines occasions rendre les femmes plus tendres et les hommes plus aimables."

Referring to Savarin's conclusion, Dr. de Ferry makes this statement, based on professional experience: "Sur l'individu sain et bien portant, la truffe excite des fonctions spéciales.

La truffe peut ajouter seulement aux qualités de ceux qui possèdent; elle n'est plus d'aucun secours à ceux qui, n'ayant pas géré leur capital en bons pères de famille, ont consommé leur ruine."

Little attention has been paid to the question whether edible truffles equal to the best European species exist within the broad area of the United States, whence so many useful and delicious food products and flavourings have sprung. M. Moynier states that he has tasted most excellent truffles from Brazil; and that a grey species of merit, round in form, is found on the right bank of the Mississippi-a somewhat vague statement, in view of the length of that river. The only species that Saccardo's "Sylloge" credits to this country is T. macrosporum, said to have been found in Pennsylvania. Some years ago Mr. W. R.

Gerard reported having discovered T. dryophilum on Staten Island. Rhizopogon rubescens, a puff-ball, grows underground in the Southern States, and is sometimes mistaken for the truffle; also certain species of Sclerodermą, or puff-balls which are partially underground. There are besides some of the false truffles of the genus Elaphomyus in the Eastern States. It will thus be seen that the subterranean fungi belong to three distinct orders. Dr. H. W.