CHAPTERVI
THEFORESTANDTHEHARVEST
ThesceneatConcheshad，apparently，agoodeffectonthepeasantry;
ontheotherhand，thecount’sfaithfulkeepersweremorethanever，watchfulthatonlydeadwoodshouldbegatheredintheforestofLes，Aigues。Butforthelasttwentyyearsthewoodshadbeensothoroughly，clearedoutthatverylittleelsethanlivewoodwasnowthere;and，thisthepeasantrysetaboutkilling，inpreparationforwinter，bya，simpleprocess，theresultsofwhichcouldonlybediscoveredinthe，courseoftime。Tonsard’smotherwentdailyintotheforest;the，keeperssawherenter;knewwhereshewouldcomeout;watchedforher，andmadeheropenherbundle，where，tobesure，wereonlyfallen，branches，driedchips，andbrokenandwitheredtwigs。Theoldwoman，wouldwhineandcomplainatthedistanceshehadtogoatherageto，gathersuchamiserablebunchoffagots。Butshedidnottellthatshe，hadbeeninthethickestpartofthewoodandhadremovedtheearthat，thebaseofcertainyoungtrees，roundwhichshehadthencutoffa，ringofbark，replacingtheearth，moss，anddeadleavesjustasthey，werebeforeshetouchedthem。Itwasimpossiblethatanyonecould，discoverthisannularincision，made，notlikeacut，butmorelike，therippingorgnawingofanimalsorthosedestructiveinsectscalled，indifferentregionsborers，orturks，orwhiteworms，whicharethe，firststageofcockchafers。Thesedestructivepestsarefondofthe，barkoftrees;theygetbetweenthebarkandthesap-woodandeat，theirwayround。Ifthetreeislargeenoughfortheinsecttopass，intoitssecondstateoflarvae，inwhichitremainsdormantuntil，itssecondmetamorphosebeforeithasgoneroundthetrunk，thetree，lives，becausesolongasevenasmallbitofthesap-woodremains，coveredbythebark，thetreewillstillgrowandrecoveritself。To，realizetowhatadegreeentomologyaffectsagriculture，horticulture，andallearthproducts，wemustknowthatnaturalistslikeLatreille，theComteDejean，KluggofBerlin，GeneofTurin，etc。findthatthe，vastmajorityofallknowninsectsliveatthesacrificeof，vegetation;thatthecoleopteraacatalogueofwhichhaslatelybeen，publishedbyMonsieurDejeanhavetwenty-seventhousandspecies，and，that，inspiteofthemostearnestresearchonthepartof，entomologistsofallcountries，thereisanenormousnumberofspecies，ofwhomtheycannottracethetripletransformationswhichbelongto，allinsects;thatthereis，inshort，notonlyaspecialinsectto，everyplant，butthatallterrestrialproducts，howevermuchtheymay，bemanipulatedbyhumanindustry，havetheirparticularparasite。Thus，flax，aftercoveringthehumanbodyandhangingthehumanbeing，after，roamingtheworldonthebackofanarmy，becomeswriting-paper;and，thosewhowriteorwhoreadarefamiliarwiththehabitsandmoralsof，aninsectcalledthe“paper-louse，“aninsectofreallymarvellous，celerityandbehavior;itundergoesitsmysterioustransformationsin，areamofwhitepaperwhichyouhavecarefullyputaway;youseeit，glidingandfriskingalonginitsshiningrobe，thatlookslike，isinglassormica，——trulyalittlefishofanotherelement。
Theboreristhedespairoftheland-owner;heworksunderground;no，Sicilianvespersforhimuntilhebecomesacockchafer！Ifthe，populationsonlyrealizedwithwhatuntolddisasterstheyare，threatenedincasetheyletthecockchafersandthecaterpillarsget，theupperhand，theywouldpaymoreattentionthantheydoto，municipalregulations。