The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-09
HUNTINGINGERMANY
KEPT UNDER suPERWssoN AND
POAcHINo ls IMPOSSIBLE.
The Rig1st 20 Take 0sms 0ess Only WSsh
Land Holding, bat tho small Propriotors
Arc Not st the Mercy Of the 8ssat Land

Arc Not st the Mercy Of the zssst Land
iords-The Plant Uncovered by Wagner.
Germany produces more gamo than any
other country In proportion tO Its arca.
There IN "a profitable trado IN 10, md tho
markets of France arv largely supplied
from this source. This abundance IL not
caused by any unusually favorable con1i-
ti0ns OF soil or Of climate, but by wise leg
islatlon, which does not sacrifice the gen
crnl interests 10 the pleasure Of few.
The GcriDnn law regards game as one Of
the useful products Of the soil, Gs property
which cannot bo appropriated without the
commission of theft, nc lcast II tho right
10 hunt has not been obtained through the
proper channels. 1his right can DC exer-
ciscd only as "a result Of holding certain
amount OF land either by lease or through
ownership, aboHt $50 hcnfares for each
tonant. Below fhat amount all the hold
iDgs are Joined together and rented by the
community for it's own profit, tho proceeds
being divided among the several propri-
etors In proportion 10 their holdings. IL
the land altogether IL not enough 10 make
one parcel OF 1s0 hectares, adjoining com
munitios can make "a pool.
That IL the foundation Of tho system. It
is absolutely equitable. Nobody can hunt
for his own pleasure or profit exclusively,
but nobody's property rights are infringcd.
Each person gets "a profit from that which
belongs to him. The small farmer n not,
rs In France, at the mercy Of tho great
landed proprietor or Of tho poacher, and
the farmer does not have to see his fields
trampled by the hunters, as, In France,
where the land holdings are TOO small for
the establishment Of preserves.
Tbs legal consequences oi this state of
things ara that the taking Of game with
out the right to do 80 duly obtained In re-
garded NJ theft. The owasr Of the land
cannot take back with one hand what he
has disposed Of with tho other. He cannot
hunt on his own land, having sold tho
right to do so.
Game is placed under legal protection.
There Is period In which hunting Ia.
forbidden entirely, another In which.
only certain kinds of game may be taken
or only the males. These periods are gen.
orally fixed by law, with notifications in
various provinces. From March to the
end of June 1t is illegal to kill stays and
the young male fawns; from Feb. to
Oct. 10, to Kill the does. Partridges may
not be shot between Dec. and the end of
August This protection is extended to
all kinds of gamc-to hares, pheamnts,
and even to birds of passage, which 1t is
against the law to kill in the breeding
season. All huntsmen at all times are for
hidden to use nets, traps or snares This
prohibition also exists In France. But IL
the terms Of the law are severe it's execu-
ton Is not. Years ago law was intro
duced into the French senate founded ON
tho German legislation, but there has been
no discussion Of 1t lately.
The Germans have stopped the nocturnal
exploits Of the poachers without the aid of
the law in this way: There grows In that
country certain kind of forage shrub
with which they have planted oil their
hunting grounds. This plant, precious on
many accounts, Is unfortunately little
known in France. It's botanical name
Is Lathyrus silvcstris wagneri. 1t -four
ishes where the soil Is very meagcr and
where In summer drought spreads desola-
tion and death among other plants. This
shrub, Of very high and thick growth,
forms mass impenctrable by birds Of
prey. Beneath 1t the game birds enjoy the
additional advantage of finding its seeds,
which they are very fond of and which
keep them fat. Their flesh also acquires
a succulence and flavor therefrom alto
gether unique and adjudged absolutely
perfect by epicures. No other plant COM
bines these valuable qualities in such a
measure for the protection Of game. 1t IS
impossible for p9echers to spread nets in q
plantation of laiinyrIs.
In his botanical field work in 1862 the
famous agricultural writer, Wagner, OBJ
served the lathyrus growing in soil
wherc limestone and silicious formations
predolninated. The vegetation of the
ncighborhood was dry, the trees and
shrubs bore. only scant foliage, but the
lathyrus was growing luxuriantly. This
phenomenon at once attracted the atten-
tion OF keen observer like Wagner, and
he devoted himself to studying this.won-
derful shrub, which was SO completely in
different to the severest conditions of
drought. Ho planted it's seed on his
grounds, improscd and perfected 1t, and
since that timo the lathyrus has become
almost national plant In Germany. 1t
flourishes without fertilizers in this arid
soil. Its roots strike down several yards
into the lower strata, where they seize tho
chlorine and potassium compounds and
phosphate acid they find there. The foli-
age Is shown by analysis to contain 30 per
cent of proteid matter, while the best
lucern grass shows only 10 per cent. The
plant Is eaten with avidity by horses, pigs,
sheep and all domestic animals.
The German law has taken great pre-
cautions to exterminate poaching by strik-
ing at Its root-that Is, at the poacher's
profit In selling his booty. Game Is not
allowed to be shipped by railroad, by tho
express department. Of the postal service,
or by any public conveyance, or to be sold
either from door to door at private houses,
or In shops, unless 1t Is accompanied by
as to where IL came from, which
must bo signed by tho landowner or lessee
OF tho hunting district. IL Is easy tn SEQ
how difficult tho business of poaching Is
In Germany. IL Is humiliating, 1t Is
dangerous, and, thanks to tho numerous
Of lathyrus, IL is improbable.
80 IL Is that this nursery of smupplcrs,
idlers, thieves, and assassins does not cx-
lst among our ncighbors. Furthermore,
everybody Is satisfied, especially tho farm
FRS, who do not have To stand by as they