1865—1870 169 



3. One lot of seed, which would perish exclusively from the 

 flachery disease; 



4. One lot of seeds, which would perish partly from cor- 

 puscle disease and partly from flachery. 



"It seems to me," added Pasteur, *'that the comparison 

 between the results of those different lots will do more to 

 enlighten the Commission on the certainty of the principles 

 I have established than could a mere sample of healthy seed. 



**I desire that this letter should be sent to the Commission 

 at its next meeting, and put down in the minutes." 



The Commission accepted with pleasure these unexpected 

 surprise boxes. 



About the same time one of his assistants. Maillot, started 

 for Corsica at M. de Casablanca's request. He took with him 

 six lots of healthy seed to Vescovato, a few miles from Bastia. 



The rest of the colony returned to the Pont Gisquet, near 

 Alais, that mulberry-planted retreat, where, according to 

 Pasteur, everything was conducive to work. Pasteur now 

 looked forward to his definitive victory, and, full of confidence, 

 organized his pupils' missions. M. Duclaux, who was coming 

 to the Pont Gisquet to watch the normal broods, would after- 

 wards go into the Cevennes to verify the seedings made on 

 the selection system. M. Gernez was to note the results of 

 some seedings made by Pasteur himself the preceding year at 

 M. Raibaud-Lange's, at Paillerols, near Digne (Basses Alpes). 

 Raulin alone would remain at the Pont Gisquet to study some 

 points of detail concerning the flachery disease. So many 

 results ought surely to reduce contradictors to silence ! 



My dear friend and colleague," wrote Dumas to Pasteur, 



I need not tell you with what anxiety we are watching the 

 progress of your precious health and of your silkworm cam- 

 paign. I shall certainly be at Alais at the end of the week, and 

 I shall see, under your kind direction, all that may furnish me 

 with the means of guiding public opinion. You have quacks 

 to fight and en\y to conquer, probably a hopeless task; the 

 best is to march right through them, Truth leading the way. 

 It is not likely that they will be converted or reduced to 

 silence." 



Whilst these expeditions were being planned, a letter from 

 M. Gressier, the Minister of Agriculture, arrived very inoppor- 

 tunely. M. Gressier was better versed in suh rosd ministerial 

 combinations than in seeding processes, and he asked Pasteur 



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