52 PASTEUR AND AFTER PASTEUR 



had nearly carried him off. It was an outline of a 

 most ingenious method for detecting, by hastening 

 the production of a series of seeds, which of them 

 were predisposed tojlacherie." 



Other events, in 1868, were the publication of 

 his appeal to France to do more for Science ; the 

 conference, on this matter, between the Emperor, 

 Pasteur, Claude Bernard, Duruy, and others ; the 

 final proof, at Brest, Toulon, and elsewhere, of his 

 method of keeping rough wines from souring ; and 

 the rebuilding of the laboratories in the Rue 

 d'Ulm. 



In January, 1869, he insisted on getting back 

 near Alais : long before he was well. In February, 

 he dictates a letter to J. B. Dumas : he is doing 

 what work they will let him : the demands for 

 non-infected seed are so heavy that he cannot meet 

 them. The Lyon Silk- Commission think his 

 method valuable, but his results not absolute. 

 They are absolute, he answers ; and he sends them 

 four lots of seed. Watch these four lots, he tells 

 them : one shall succeed : one shall die of pebrine 

 only: one shall die oiflackerie only : one shall die 

 part of pebrine and part ofjlacherie. And so they 

 did. A proprietress is distributing samples of seed 

 far and wide, sure of their healthiness : the Minister 

 of Agriculture asks Pasteur's judgment on them, 

 sends him three lots : " These three lots of seed," 



