sons of the soil-第78章
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the base of certain young trees; round which she had then cut off a
ring of bark; replacing the earth; moss; and dead leaves just as they
were before she touched them。 It was impossible that any one could
discover this annular incision; made; not like a cut; but more like
the ripping or gnawing of animals or those destructive insects called
in different regions borers; or turks; or white worms; which are the
first stage of cockchafers。 These destructive pests are fond of the
bark of trees; they get between the bark and the sap…wood and eat
their way round。 If the tree is large enough for the insect to pass
into its second state (of larvae; in which it remains dormant until
its second metamorphose) before it has gone round the trunk; the tree
lives; because so long as even a small bit of the sap…wood remains
covered by the bark; the tree will still grow and recover itself。 To
realize to what a degree entomology affects agriculture; horticulture;
and all earth products; we must know that naturalists like Latreille;
the Comte Dejean; Klugg of Berlin; Gene of Turin; etc。; find that the
vast majority of all known insects live at the sacrifice of
vegetation; that the coleoptera (a catalogue of which has lately been
published by Monsieur Dejean) have twenty…seven thousand species; and
that; in spite of the most earnest research on the part of
entomologists of all countries; there is an enormous number of species
of whom they cannot trace the triple transformations which belong to
all insects; that there is; in short; not only a special insect to
every plant; but that all terrestrial products; however much they may
be manipulated by human industry; have their particular parasite。 Thus
flax; after covering the human body and hanging the human being; after
roaming the world on the back of an army; becomes writing…paper; and
those who write or who read are familiar with the habits and morals of
an insect called the 〃paper…louse;〃 an insect of really marvellous
celerity and behavior; it undergoes its mysterious transformations in
a ream of white paper which you have carefully put away; you see it
gliding and frisking along in its shining robe; that looks like
isinglass or mica;truly a little fish of another element。
The borer is the despair of the land…owner; he works underground; no
Sicilian vespers for him until he becomes a cockchafer! If the
populations only realized with what untold disasters they are
threatened in case they let the cockchafers and the caterpillars get
the upper hand; they would pay more attention than they do to
municipal regulations。
Holland came near perishing; its dikes were undermined by the teredo;
and science is unable to discover the insect from which that mollusk
derives; just as science still remains ignorant of the metamorphoses
of the cochineal。 The ergot; or spur; of rye is apparently a
population of insects where the genius of science has been able; so
far; to discover only one slight movement。 Thus; while awaiting the
harvest and gleaning; fifty old women imitated the borer at the feet
of five or six hundred trees which were fated to become skeletons and
to put forth no more leaves in the spring。 They were carefully chosen
in the least accessible places; so that the surrounding branches
concealed them。
Who conveyed the secret information by which this was done? No one。
Courtecuisse happened to complain in Tonsard's tavern of having found
a tree wilting in his garden; it seemed he said; to have a disease;
and he suspected a borer; for he; Courtecuisse; knew what borers were;
and if they once circled a tree just below the ground; the tree died。
Thereupon he explained the process。 The old women at once set to work
at the same destruction; with the mystery and cleverness of gnomes;
and their efforts were doubled by the rules now enforced by the mayor
of Blangy and necessarily followed by the mayors of the adjoining
districts。
The great land…owners of the department applauded General de
Montcornet's course; and the prefect in his private drawing…room
declared that if; instead of living in Paris; other land…owners would
come and live on their estates and follow such a course together; a
solution of the difficulty could be obtained; for certain measures;
added the prefect; ought to be taken; and taken in concert; modified
by benefactions and by an enlightened philanthropy; such as every one
could see actuated in General Montcornet。
The general and his wife; assisted by the abbe; tried the effects of
such benevolence。 They studied the subject; and endeavored to show by
incontestable results to those who pillaged them that more money could
be made by legitimate toil。 They supplied flax and paid for the
spinning; the countess had the thread woven into linen suitable for
towels; aprons; and coarse napkins for kitchen use; and for
underclothing for the very poor。 The general began improvements which
needed many laborers; and he employed none but those in the adjoining
districts。 Sibilet was in charge of the works and the Abbe Brossette
gave the countess lists of the most needy; and often brought them to
her himself。 Madame de Montcornet attended to these matters personally
in the great antechamber which opened upon the portico。 It was a
beautiful waiting…room; floored with squares of white and red marble;
warmed by a porcelain stove; and furnished with benches covered with
red plush。
It was there that one morning; just before harvest; old Mother Tonsard
brought her granddaughter Catherine; who had to make; she said; a
dreadful confession;dreadful for the honor of a poor but honest
family。 While the old woman addressed the countess Catherine stood in
an attitude of conscious guilt。 Then she related on her own account
the unfortunate 〃situation〃 in which she was placed; which she had
confided to none but her grandmother; for her mother; she knew; would
turn her out; and her father; an honorable man; might kill her。 If she
only had a thousand francs she could be married to a poor laborer
named Godain; who KNEW ALL; and who loved her like a brother; he could
buy a poor bit of ground and build a cottage if she had that sum。 It
was very touching。 The countess promised the money; resolving to
devote the price of some fancy to this marriage。 The happy marriages
of Michaud and Groison encouraged her。 Besides; such a wedding would
be a good example to the people of the neighborhood and stimulate to
virtuous conduct。 The marriage of Catherine Tonsard and Godain was
accordingly arranged by means of the countess's thousand francs。
Another time a horrible old woman; Mother Bonnebault; who lived in a
hut between the gate of Conches and the village; brought back a great
bundle of skeins of linen thread。
〃Madame la comtesse has done wonders;〃 said the abbe; full of hope as
to the moral progress of his savages。 〃That old woman did immense
damage to your woods; but now she has no time for it; she stays at
home and spins from morning till night; her time is all taken up and
well paid for。〃
Peace reigned everywhere。 Groison made very satisfactory reports;
depredations seemed to have ceased; and it is even possible that the
state of the neighborhood and the feeling of the inhabitants might
really have changed if it had not been for the revengeful eagerness of
Gaubertin; the cabals of the leading society of Soulanges; and the
intrigues of Rigou; who one and all; with 〃the affair〃 in view; blew
the embers of hatred and crime in the hearts of the peasantry of the
valley des Aigues。
The keepers still complained of finding a great many branches cut with
shears in the deeper parts of the wood and left to dry; evidently as a
provision for winter。 They watched for the delinquents without ever
being able to catch them。 The count; assisted by Groison; had given
certificates of pauperism to only thirty or forty of the real poor of
the district; but the othe