New-York tribune., 1918-03-31
Hunger Kills Ihousandsin Germany;
Vital Forces Of People Weakened

Agrarian League at it's national con-
vention on February 10 appealed to the
government to permit the farmers to
work their laborers twelve hours daily
and to give soldiers furloughs to help
in getting the spring planting done.
The farm horse represents just now
one Of the weakest points in Germany's
lines of home defence. The animals
are underfed and are too weak for doing
Germany the authorities recently Of
fered premium on ploughing up
meadow land and planting it in pota
toes; but it was mentioned in the dis
cusson Of the matter that no consider
able results could be expected, because
the horses were too weak to break the
grass roots in daily ploughing.
The feeding Of horses has become a
problem fully as difficult as feeding
men. The grain ration Of farm horses
has been reduced to 3.3 pounds daily.
Hay is exceedingly scarce and dear, and
curious substitutes for it have come
into use. Here is significant extract
from Q Berlin market report. After
saying that there was no hay or straw
IN the market for civilian trade, it hav
ing been all rcquistioned for the army
the report adds: "Heather is taken as
fast as it arrives, and reeds are more
in demand"
Many other market reports dwell
upon the heavy demands for these
novel kinds Of fodder. Other substl-
tutes are used An agricultural paper
mentions that hazel catkins have been
successfully fed to horses in districts
where grain was scarce, and il recon-
mends that experiments be made with
birch, alder and beech cathins. The
on ba Of
before | came away. had a decidedly
lean and hungry look. Such a gaunt
and ilI-fed lot Of beasts | had never
irlag;1ed; and they are in even worse
cordition to-day.
The prices of farm horses are now so
high, too. as to be wellnigh prohibitive.
A South German market report of Feb
ruary 81 quoted $1,000 to $1,000 for
medium weight work horses three to
five years old; heavy animals brought
81 400.
Of course, most Of the young horses
are taken for the army as soon as they
are fit for service. The Agrarian
League made a strong plea for exempt
ing farm horses from conhscation, as
we'll as for the allotment Of old army
horses to the farmers. But the mill
tary authorities, in Bavaria at least,
have notified them that they could get
no such horses this spring; hence they
should break in cows and young steers
in good time for planting the crops.
Milk Supply Menaced
The milk supply is also endangered
league further appealed to the govern
ment for concentrated feedstutfs in or
der to keep the milk pals full. The
numbeS of milch cows has kept up re-
markably we'll indeed, a reduction of
less than per cent having been shown
by the animal census of last December;
but their milk yield has been sadly re-
duced through poor feeding, and it will
hardly improve. Moreover, the sharp
reduction in the number of swine, al
ready mentioned, is bad factor in re-
pect to the future meat supply.
The league also appealed for fertiliz-
ers, especially potash and nitrates.
That they should need to call for pot
ash, Notwithstanding the many mines
in Germany is a noteworthy fact, illus
trative of the shortage of labor and bad
transportation facilities.
The government has made heroic eff
forts to supply the farmer with nj
trates. Some big factories FOR recover
ing nitrogen from the atmosphere were
built under government auspices, and
it is boasted in the press that these
have been remarkably successful in
increasing the output of nitrogen prod
ucts. But it was quite recently pointed
out in the Prusslan Chamber that the
factories were turning out only 60 per
cent of their capacity, owing to bureau
cratic bungling in the delivery of sup
plies, chiefly fuel. Furthermore, nearly
the entire output of the factories is
absorbed in making explosives for the
army. The prospect for a sufficient
amount of commercial fertilizers is
distinctly bad; but it is probably not
worse than 1T was year ago.
The conclusion, therefore, seems war
ranted that, unless Germany is IA
vored to an unusual degree this year by
nature, it will hardly be possible to in
crease the food supply from home
sources.
Nor is it probable that there will
be any large increase from foreign
countries. The Ukraine had been re-
garded as the most promising source
Of supply, but the recapture of Odessa
and other towns there this week
by the Soviet and Ukrainan troops
makes it seem doubtful whether the
new republic will assist in feeding
Germany. From the German press it