The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-28
HOPE OF AUSTRIA
FADES when POOR
CROPS Seem SURE
Peace With Russia and Good
Food Output, Only
Hopes, Gone

Peace with Russia and the hope
that this years crops would be bet
ter than those of last year have dur
ing recent weeks been the sole factors
in whatever optimism existed in Aus
tria- Hungary concerning the outcome
Of the European war.
It was thought that reaching an I'M
derstanding with Russia would cause
the Entente governments also to en-
ter negotiations for peace, or In the
absence of such an inclination on their
part, release the Central power troops
on the east front for operations against
the Italians and the Allies on the west
front.
This failing. a crop at least as good
as last seasons appeared to most
classes the only cause for seeing any
thing bright in the future. The gov
eminent shared that view and this led
to several attempts by it to give the
Russian to understand that peace with
the Central Powers could be obtained
under conditions considered favorable
in Berlin and Vienna.
But the crop outlook in Austria
Hungary for this year is far from
good, and it is no worse than that of
Germany. The countries labor under
the same disadvantages, to which the
present year has SO far added a late
ness in spring planting and sowing.
Austria-HunEary was before the war
an exporter of foodstuffs and the area
Of arabic land does not enter into the
question of war crops. For land not
cultivated intensively, food production
in the monarchy has become largely
- e. 80, &c,
tally true of Hungary. Farms depend
ing upon intense cultivation have fall
en- short in crop returns, principally
for the reason that the necessary labor
has not been available. In Austria this
has been the principal cause for the
recent bad crops, though here also a
shortage of fertilizers. especially in
manure, has been severely felt. The
| soil of Central Europe has been work
ed so long and persistently that only
the closest attention in fertilization
and filling produces good crops. So
| thorough is this method of farming
| that it will overcome many Of the han
dicaps of bad season, producing fair
crops even when the weather would
/, leave little to a less efficiently organ
| lied system Of farming.
Although the potash fertilizers of
Germany are available to Austria
Hungary, every demand made by
farmland fertilization is not met by
them, for the reason that these sup
ply but part of the elements needed
to foster vigorous plant life. In the
past these elements have been pro-
vided by stable manure for intensive
farming and phosphor fertilizers i'm
ported from abroad. The latter can
not be procured at present and man
ure has become scarce owing to the
great reduction in live stock due to
the war.
Farming in Austria Hungary, as in
Germany, has for the last two years
taken much more out Of the soil than
ut was possible to return to it, the re-
suit being that two crops have been
raised on what may be considered the
reserve store Of the elements need
ed to produce crop. With the dur
alton of the war possibilities of keep
ing the soil in good condition have
decreased constantly. SO that today
most farmland in Central Europe may
be considered as on the verge of ex-
haustion. The best Of weather this
year could not produce a good crop,
according to many landowners with
whom the matter was discussed.
The shortage in farm labor also ar
cues against a good crop this year.
Most of the farming is done by the
women. the older children, men unfit
for military service and prisoners of
war. The quality of their labor has
been rather bet - than was expected,
but it falls short by far of what the
men in the trenches could have done
Not alone is the ploughing and cult
walton indifferently done, but the
hands available are in many cases I'M
able to cultivate the area allotted to
them. Last year, for instance, much
grain was ruined by being too long in
the fields after ripening. Rain spoiled
it.
A lack of vitriol, principal ingredi-
ent in the spraying solution used to
free crop plants from parasites, has
also been a serious factor in poor crop
returns in the monarchy. In many
parts it has led to total failures in
potato crops, and many of Austria
Hungarys splendid vineyards and or
chards have been ruined because vi
/ triol, being a copper product. could
not be obtained. The Austro Hungar-
ian government recently encouraged
the conversion of poor copper ores
into vitriol by means of a new pro-
cess, but it was considered out of the
question that this chemical could in
that manner be won in the needed
quantities. In view of the fact that
plant parasites are a sore problem in
| the monarchy even in times of peace
when preventiyes of the nature named
are plentiful and cheap, this aspect OF
the present crop season was causing
! much anxiety in government circles
Much relief is expected from the
parts of Roumania occupied by the
Central Power troops. 1t is estimated
| that the area under control produces
| annually about two million tons OF
grain, mostly wheat. The soil coming
into consideration is still in the best
| condition, and the Roumanian gov
eminent had drafted only the line
troops and first reserve contingents
from these districts, so that the num-
Der of males engaging in farming is
relatively great.
| Muskogee, Okla, was shaken by a
terrific explosion of the Muskogee Wit
rified brick plant Windows We're
Broken all over the city.