THE AUCKLAND STRAWDERBY MARKET.

Evening Star, Issue 7407, 30 December 1887, Page 4

THE AUCKLAND STRAWDERBY MARKET.

[‘New Zealand Herald.’] The cry of “Strawberries ! fine ripe strawberries!” has now been echoing through our streets for some time past, and the fruit shops have been making a tempting display of this favorite berry, but probably the quantity consumed every day in Auckland during the season has not been realised by the lovers of strawberries and cream. By the courtesy of Mr B. Dawson we have been supplied -with some figures which will show the strawberry-consuming capacity of the inhabitants of Auckland, There are in all about 200 acres planted in strawberries, the largest portion of this area being at Northcote. In this district there are about eighty growers, the average area being two acres in each farm. One of the largest, belonging to Mr Thompson, consists of-about seven acres. The Devonport district grows only a comparatively small quantity, while ou this side there are only two or three large growers. Mr VV. Mason, of Ponsonby, is one of the largest. He has eighteen acres under crop, and for a long time past has supplied from 500 to ,000 boxes daily. Ho employs about forty boys to pick the fruit, and he has a “tin-can band” to frighten away birds and other fruit stealers. The season, which began this year about the 15th October, is fully live weeks late, strawberries in former years being often in the market in the beginning of September. The crop this year has boon a very largo one, the average being about forty quarts per acre per day; some farms have given a larger yield than this, and some less. The average weight of a quart of strawberries is 230z. This gives us 11,0001b, or rather over five tons of strawberries, which, together with several tons of cream and sugar, makes a nice little plateful to be eaten by the Auckland public every day. Reckoning the price of strawberries at Cd per quart, this industry has returned to the growers tho very handsome dividend of L2OO per da y W the gross receipts during the season. Another way to look at it is that during tho season every acre under strawberries has given a gross return of LI per day. Mr W. Thompson, of Northcote, informs us that the industry is a most flourishing one. He says: —“I have been in the trade for fifteen years. I have increased my area every year, and every year the demand has be.cn greater than the supply. I have just received g-n oi'dcr for ten dozen boxes, and my weekly output has averaged 1,000 boxes, I have a family of eleven, and wc do all the work ourselves. The strawberries aro usually sent to market by the 7.30 and S.3o_a.m. boats, but many growers send over twice a day. T(je freight is very reasonable. Two hundred quarts arc allowed free every week to each grower, and 9d per 100 quarts is charged for all quantities above that. This allows a small beginner to market this fruit free of cost, and does not injure the largo growers. For any quantity which I like to send to the jam fc-cfcjries I can. from Ucl to 2-J.cl a pound.” Although not so popular as strawberries, there arc many other small fruits which bring in very acceptable dividends to the growers.