The essay uses evidence from a French pre-alpine community in 1613-1792 to test the formalized models of Malthus as presented by Wrigley and Schofield. It finds a demographic regime characterized by early marriage, low marital fertility and fecundity, and low infant mortality. Such a system does not fit neatly into any of the models presented by Wrigley and Schofield for the balance of population and resources. The essay concludes with the proposition that greater attention needs to be given to the role of seasonal and temporary labour migration after marriage as a means of regulating people and resources in a marginal environment.
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