THE CORPUSCULAR DISEASE [PEBRINE] 151 



the time when he sows from the time when he reaps. 

 As formerly the harvest was almost certain and quite 

 lucrative, the time of the silkworm was a time of festival 

 and of joy, in spite of the fatigues which it imposed, and 

 in gratitude the mulberry tree had received the name of 

 arbor d'or from the populations who lived upon it. 



Unfortunately, silk culture had been attacked for 20 

 years by a cruel, inexplicable disease, which owing to 

 its singular behavior and multiple and changing mani- 

 festations, disconcerted the reason and baffled the efforts 

 best calculated, in appearance, to overcome it. If, 

 for example, a culture of worms had succeeded very well 

 so as to excite the admiration of all the surrounding 

 country: instead of smothering it to wind the cocoons 

 for silk, it was saved for the egg-laying in a very natural 

 hope of obtaining therefrom excellent "graine." But 

 alas! It happened that almost always this hope was 

 deceived and that the following year the worms derived 

 from these eggs, instead of growng rapidly like their 

 ancestors, and preserving to the end a perfect uniformity, 

 acquired slowly the most diverse sizes. Many died in the 

 first stages, and those which had passed the fourth molt 

 successfully seemed but little able to pass beyond it; 

 they became smaller, seemed to melt away, little by 

 little, and ended by disappearing almost altogether, 

 giving only a negative or insignificant yield. The im- 

 possibility of obtaining good eggs which was soon demon- 

 strated by similar failures with our fine French races, had 

 led numerous silk growers to travel seeking healthier eggs 

 at a distance; but the disease seemed to have made the 

 tour of the world along with them, and their exotic 

 "graines," after having succeeded one or two years in 

 France, were struck with sterility both in our own 

 country and in the lands where they originated. 



On account of its occurrence in cultures which it ap- 



