IK STRAWBERRY LAND

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1552, 25 August 1926, Page 2

IK STRAWBERRY LAND

During these sunny days the air in South Hampshire is heavy with the scent of strawberries, delicious, appetising (writes Arthur Lamsley, in the 'Daily Chronicle'). Four million chip baskets, manufactured from shavings from the aspen tiee. a species of poplar imported from Russia for the purpose, are stacked m the factory near Swanwick station ready for this year's rush harvest. Scores of railway vans, each to carry about four tons of luscious fruit, are gathered at the special sidings to be loaded with thousands of baskets of red, juicy berries. The. special staff of porters work feverishly throughout tho day, and at nightfall. they couple the vans to express engines, which rush them oil during the night to all the great towns of England and Scotland for tho next day's markets. • '■ Gypsies from all over the South Country emigrate to the strawberry fields for the season, and get about eight weeks' real hard work, picking the fruit. Bending down between tho rows, they fill two baskets at a time. In this corner of Hampshire, between Fareham and Southampton down to the coast, about 2,000 acres in all, tho villagers talk nothing but "strawberry." Nine months have passed of anxious cultivation and waiting, and during those days nothing in the world - matters to the grower save his fruit. its quality, transport, price per pound —and continued sunshine. J An average crop should yield about two tons of fruit per acre. It takes 1,000 railway vans, each carrying about four tons of fruit, besides hundreds of motor lorries, to get a good harvest of over 11,000,0001b of strawberries to tho markets.

The hawker's "Strawberry Ripe! " is a fascinating cry, and this season, with its sun-flooded days ; should be a great success, and tca>, patties will bo made delicious with blushing strawberries—and cream I