PIG TROUBLES IN GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2745, 14 April 1916, Page 8

PIG TROUBLES IN GERMANY

.7 -Since the beginning of the'war Ger'.•'jhany lias had nothing but trouble vvith 7.' its pigs. dri times of peace that cmui- ; :; try imports cereals, -including food for L, ■ animals, and as it. thought,at first .that, 7- the:war would ho a short one, no p.rc--7 'cautions were-taken to' replenish oxistJ7-' ing stocks" 'When the''faotVecame-evif" i-7 ■ d«nt, however; that hostilities would he. ; : prolonged, the wily Teutons recognised y. ',: that the 'difficulty of adequately feeding. r, "their LVe stock would, necessitate an r"x immediatev sacrifice, and tluv question i.. \ was which' had to go, cattle or. pigs ?• >•' It was a trying moment. But, seeing '■: : '• .that the ■•■ cattle-breeding • industry vis f:' .-the more difficult' one. to ; -reconstitute,- [-■'.' ' the German Government,'ordered.-, that 7 an immense number of pigs should be f' -killed. Tlien in the summer of 1915 a ■ :..-.. start made with'the blockade caused :; ; . . fears in the.German, mind.■;that there V,' would not be food /enough -for-the : 7 cattle, and ithat the Matter might I- parish. ■-.; '-v '-:.'.,,.■''- : -. •''.... ■■■'.■■ ■■'■ \ ■'■'■ : Thus, inspired, ,the..Government,de : f: /.cided at/once; to_ build up. again.;, the : 7 army of' pigs—for- which they 'supplied ! ■ - certain. foods: gratuitously, though ,they i ■•■•. : were Bqt.of the mosji' expensive, kind -- .-■■, 7-and to' sacrifice,the cattle.. According-. ?.'..' October-November, ■ 1915,7 there ';, were slaughtered in the Berlin imuiici-' [.-;' .pal abattoirs, alone: no fewer' than' E-V'-63,000 head of cattle, as against 36,000 r '..'in the same period of 1914,- and 15,000 s 'in 1913., In' consequence of this serious !.'■- thinning of the cattle ranks there has b . been, a shortage of. milk, butter, : and ' 'cheese, andiit. seems that the pigs. have. ■' not been able as yet to make up/for ,; : the deficiencies. , Those consumers who Can obtain a: sufficiency of good pork, 7 :.even at. a vastly enhanced price, think .V.; themselves lucky. .The of - : 7Qer'man diplomacy-has not been-con- : ..'spiouous, at any rate, in respect "to.'its ■-..: pig policy, during war-time, and the 7.''pessimists.; are inclined to believe'that there will; bevstill further trouble with -the; pigs.—"Live. Stock Journal." • -. = .