168 THE LIFE OF PASTEUR 



the last moment, and that I should do well to put by a few 

 ounces ; but, about three weeks ago, our energetic Minister 

 wrote to ask me for some seed to distribute to schoolmasters, 

 and I promised him what I had. However I will take some 

 from his share and send you several lots of five grammes. The 

 director of a most interesting Austrian establishment has also 

 ordered two ounces, saying he is convinced of the excellence 

 of my method. His establishment is a most interesting ex- 

 perimental magnanerie , founded in a handsome Illyrian pro- 

 perty. Lastly, I have also promised two ounces to M. le 

 Comte de Casabianca. One of my young men is going out to 

 his place in Corsica to do the seeding. 



"I was much touched by what you tell me of Marshal 

 Vaillant's kind interest in my health, and also by his kind 

 thought in informing me of the encouragement given to my 

 studies by the Society of Agriculture. I wish the cultivators 

 of your South had a little of his scientific and methodical 

 spirit. 



" Madame Pasteur joins with me in sending you and your 

 family, dear master, the expression of my gratitude and affec- 

 tionate devotion." 



The normal season for the culture of silkworms was now 

 aproaching, and Pasteur was impatient to accumulate the 

 proofs which would vouch for the safety of his method ; this 

 had been somewhat doubted by the members of the Lyons 

 Silks Commission, who possessed an experimental nursery. 

 Most of those gentlemen averred that too much confidence 

 should not be placed in the micrographs. "Our Commis- 

 sion," thus ran their report of the preceding year, "con- 

 siders the examination of corpuscles as a useful indication 

 which should be consulted, but of which the results cannot 

 be presented as a fact from which absolute consequences can 

 be deducted." 



" They are absolute," answered Pasteur, who did not admit 

 reservations on a point which he considered as invulnerable. 



On March 22, 1869, the Commission asked Pasteur for a 

 little guaranteed healthy seed. Pasteur not only sent them 

 this, but also sample lots, of which he thus predicted the future 

 fate : 



1. One lot of healthy seed, which would succeed ; 



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

 corpuscle disease known as pebrine or gattine ; 



