THE GERMAN HARVEST.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1737, 6 October 1917, Page 2

THE GERMAN HARVEST.

AN Amsterdam newspaper gives particulars respecting the harvesting operations in Germany. The schools were dosed, and students of universities and colleges were to be •swen everywhere in the country binding the grain into sheaves. Mowing being difficult work for many of them, this was left to the older men and to some of the stronger women. Great expectations were entertained some time ago with regard to the co-operation of prisoners of war, but these showed little taste for the enforced work, and made for the Dutch frontier as soon as they saw their opportunity. The great lack of manual labour was aggravated by a shortage of beasts of burden. Cows, which in many districts have been replacing horses and bullocks, were of little use in consequence of lack of fodder. The crop of vegetables was very disappointing. In the open country people are faring pretty, well in this respect, but in the cities there is great scarcity. New potatoes, generally speaking, arc somewhat late owing to the great drought, but the quality is excellent. The quantity allowed, however, 31b per week per person, is insufficient. Great damage was caused by the hurricane and thunderstorm which occurred all over Western Germany on Sunday, July 29th. Not only were buildings damaged or destroy-

ed, and thousands of trees uprooted, but all field and market garden produce suffered considerably. Oats, barley, and buckwheat were struck' down, and no apples or pears were left on the trees. Weeds, on the other hand, were thriving, owing to the heavy rains in recent week's. From East Frisia, according to a report in the Auzieger, of Munster, many kinds of vegetable, especially beans, will be a failure this year. The favourable crop reports in some German papers were considered exaggerated.