Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace

Franz had tried to alert London to the horrors of the potato blight through secret private channels, but the latter seemed to have no response, and the former could not reveal his identity, so he had to resign himself to fate.

In addition, the solution to this famine can also be addressed at the root causes. There are no more than two ways to prevent and control this germ: one is to select excellent species, and the other is to control pesticides.

However, there are also a lot of troubles in the implementation of the above two methods; First, there is no late potato blight in Austria, in other words, at least not yet.

As for buying strains and actively infecting them, this kind of lethal action will not be done as long as the head is not broken. Similarly, it is not feasible to bring those strains with potato late blight to the country, where there is rain all year round.

Once the germs enter the atmospheric circulation, they can easily spread throughout the empire, and it is not uncommon to cause an agricultural crisis. Not only will other countries make a lot of money, but their own countries are more likely to be plunged into ongoing chaos due to the economic and social crisis.

As for pesticides, at this time, Europeans will use powders made from pyrethrum to control insect pests. That's right! It is the most powerful natural insecticide in modern times, and Europeans have been using it since the nineteenth century.

However, due to the trouble of production, it was not popularized, but it was later discovered that it was just easy to make chemical preparations, and only then began the history of large-scale use of pesticides, and then after going around for more than 100 years, I finally found that it was still a natural type of similar products.

However, the development of pesticides against mold is lagging behind.

These people will only mix tobacco and lime and set it on fire in the fields, and the effect is entirely up to providence. Franz knew that sulfur was used in ancient times in the East, but it was not known whether it was effective in preventing potato late blight.

For this reason, Franz tried to turn to the Royal Society of Science, but even the geniuses gathered there were at a loss to do anything.

As mentioned earlier, it is impossible to bring this germ back home, because the risks must not be overlooked, and there is no need for the empire to lose more than it gains.

Franz had no choice but to do the opposite, ordering his subordinates and related personnel to collect the improved seeds from all over Europe and Asia, and then send special personnel to Ireland to see if they would be infected with potato late blight.

Although this is an afterthought, it is also a way to have no choice.

Franz also remembered a simple pesticide preparation technique he had learned in chemistry class in junior high school, and he later mentioned it when he heard people boast about wine.

That's right, it's "Bordeaux liquid". The material and chemical formula required for this pesticide are, copper sulfate + quicklime + water, although the specific ratio is forgotten, but it is right to add more levels.

After figuring it out, Franz immediately went to his laboratory and poured some white crystals (anhydrous copper sulphate) and white powder (quicklime) into a container filled with water, which he then stirred with a glass rod.

Soon the crystals and powder disappeared, and the liquid that had been clear and transparent turned blue. However, after the concoction was completed, he noticed a problem, the little sister Maria was biting her fingers and staring at the blue liquid in her hand.

It was clear that she had mistaken the drink for blue, which made Franz laugh and cry.

"Didn't that damn Bordeaux say that his defense is the same as the moat? How can even a child easily break through? ”

In fact, Colonel Bordeaux also felt very wronged, if the visitor belonged to other identities, he would definitely be able to stop it, but if it was a princess, there was nothing he could do.

Soon after, Colonel Bordeaux's eyes caught Madame Sophie, who was looking for the little princess, and immediately saluted respectfully.

"Hello, Mrs. Sophie, you've done a great job."

Mrs. Sophie glanced the man up and down, and then remembered that this man was the male attendant she had chosen for Franz to be in charge of security. His family has been loyal to the royal family for fifteen generations, and there has never been a single scum, but this descendant is not very good-headed.

"Give it to me! ~~~”

"No way!"

"I want to drink! ~~~”

"That's not a drink!"

"Wow!" The dispute between the brother and sister finally ends with little Mary crying.

Franz decided to teach a lesson as usual before giving a candy a meal.

But as soon as she lifted little Mary up and put her on her lap, she was stopped by Madame Sophie.

"Franz! What are you doing! How can you, as an elder brother, do this to your little sister? ”

He knew that it was useless to explain what a small tree would not be able to become a towering tree in the future if it was not pruned. He simply put Little Mary down.

"I was wrong, Mother. But the liquid in this bottle is really dangerous, and I just want to stop my sister from doing something stupid. ”

"Mom, my eldest brother beat me just now! Pick up my hair! Little Maria said and brushed her hair twice, but Franz had already made things clear first.

Even if the doting youngest daughter is a scoundrel, Mrs. Sophie can understand what is going on at a glance. But for the sake of her daughter's face, superficial work still has to be done.

"Then how about my mother teach you a lesson about this unreliable brother?"

She symbolically slapped him twice and was about to take little Mary away. However, in her heart, she was already very dissatisfied, and if this matter had been replaced by Maria's three brothers, she would have taught her a hard lesson.

But Maria was a girl after all, and Madame Sophie still couldn't give up.

But when he saw the blue liquid on the eldest son's table, he was curious.

"What's in there?"

When Franz saw his mother's expression, he immediately had a countermeasure. However, in order to reduce some unnecessary trouble, he chose to tell the truth, "Pesticides." ”

Convinced that it was not an edible object, Mrs. Sophie swallowed.

"I really don't understand what you're thinking about in that head all day. The king is not a scholar, and it is not the work of a wise man to play up all these kinds of tricks and tricks all day long.

Even if you have a strong interest, you can leave it to the experts and professors, and you should take more time out to study with the ministers.

Recently, the prime minister and the archbishop have rarely entered the palace, and I personally asked people to ask for it, but they can't teach you. What good did you do? And don't always mess with Friedrich, that loser will only spend money. ”

"Yes, I will be close to the Prime Minister and the Archbishop. And what about Uncle Albrecht? Franz asked, after all, he was a war hero.

"It's better to have less contact. Your Uncle and Grandfather's family didn't have a serious person; The old one married a Protestant, and the three younger ones were all too old to get married. If it weren't for the fact that there were still a few daughters still alive, I am afraid that they would be extinct in a few years. ”

Mrs. Sophie's prickly words, though unpleasant, were true.

As a nobleman who grew up in a Catholic family, Archduke Karl was urged to marry because of his old age, so he searched around the German state, and found a Protestant.

It was the first pagan marriage in the history of the Habsburgs, and it ended up being a storm in the city, and it eventually gave rise to its own political future.

And Albrecht, Carl Ferdinand and Friedrich are long past the marriageable age, but let alone wives, they don't even have a lover.

At this time, little Mary, who was tired of crying, actually fell asleep on the shoulders of Madame Sophie.

"Your sister is asleep, and I'll take her back. Hello for yourself. ”

"Mother, you walk slowly." Franz saluted respectfully.

(End of chapter)