24 USEFUL BIBBS. 



products of forest, meadow, sea, lake, or rivau*. The only 

 creatures that he then could regard as injurious were those 

 that attacked his own person or the })ersons of his fan^h^ 



Any irrui)tion of animals, such as vast herds of deer, bison, 

 or antelopes, hordes of monkeys or rats, flights of birds or 

 locusts, outbreaks of cater[)illars or other creatures, was 

 a])out as likely to benefit as to injure him. For instance, 

 when locusts became so numerous as to destroy a })art or all 

 of his vegetable food, he followed the exam[)le of other 

 creatures, and, by feeding for the time on the superabundant 

 locusts, exerted an influence toward restoring the l)alance 

 of nature. (There are still savage tribes in various parts 

 of the earth that eat monkeys, rats, locusts, grubs, or 

 cat('r})illars. ) 



In times of })lenty primitive man feasted, as did other 

 animals : and in times of want, like them, he starved. But 

 usually he was indifterent to any ordinary injur}' done to the 

 animal or vegetable life around him, as he owned no pro})- 

 erty, and could readily move his camp from a region of 

 want to one of plenty. 



CHANGED RELATIONS PRODUCED BY AGRICULTURE. 



AMth the beginning of agricultural practice, however, all 

 this was changed. When man l)egan to domesticate animals, 

 he faced immediately a host of enemies. Wild animals and 

 birds attacked his cattle, horses, shee}), goats, ;uid hogs, or 

 devoured their young. Tormenting insects stampeded his 

 herds, or carried disease and death among them. His poul- 

 try' were decimated by scores of rapacious animals. When 

 he began to plant set^d and raise grain, both his growing 

 and his garnered crops were attacked by a host of ene- 

 mies ; for now he had l)egun to disturb nature's balance, 

 and nature a-serted herself in the efl'ort to resume her inter- 

 rupted sway. This was the beginning of a war with nature 

 which will never cease so long as man inhabits the earth ; 

 for the agriculturist does not work altogether with nature, 

 but largely against her. Most of the animal and vegetable 

 forms that he produces are at variance with those })roduced 

 by nature, and must be continually fostered and protected 



