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THE FRUIT PICKERS

We wero picking fruit for Army jam, writes a woman in the- "Daily Mail." Thero were about 120 of us, and wo could easily be divided into four sections. First, the "Gipsies," who preponderated; secondly, the "Villagers"; thirdly, the "Land Ariuy" girls (or the "Lady Gardeners," as the rest of the pickers pleased to call us)j and fourthly, the "Tramps"—luckily in the minority.

As "pickers" the "Gipsies" took first place again. There was no denying that—they were adepts at it in more ways than one I Sometimes when an unsuspecting "Land Army" girl, finding her basket of fruit very heavy, put it down in her lino with tlie intention of returning for it later, she would find that the basket, containing perhaps Blb. of strawberries or 121b. of raspberries, or even a "sieve" of 241b. of plums, had disappeared. Gipsy children have lynx-like eyes and no matter where yon hid your fruit they would find it.

The gipsies frequently exchanged one of their half-filled "pote" of gooseberries (a pot holds 721b.) for a full one of someone else's, and-no one ever witnessed the transnetion. They "nicked" your lunch, your mackintosh.,"your vacuum flask, or your change of shoes, no matter how carefully you thought you had hidden them in the hedge, and finally for their safety we used to work with all these things tied round our waists by rope. The Villagers were nice, clean women and girls in cotton sun bonnets and print dresses and overalls, who thought our "land workers'" regulation suits intensely comical and never ceased to crack jokes at our expense: 'Say, Mrs. Smith, I'll get myself up in breeches and caitors! But what'll my husband say if he gets leave home from the front? ''Who's stolen my wife?' he'll be asking. 'And what is this man doing in her place?'" The Land Army girls, nearly all teachers and students, were doing this as "their bit" during their holidays. Of all the workers they were the most industrious. They lived on the farn premises in disused cowsheds—fouT girls being put in the space usually allotted 'to ono cow—and they slept on sacks of straw. The only thing I ever heard them complain of was— rats!

The Tramps—a queer lot—slept in the' disused pigsties. Some came from tho slums of great cities, others had spent thrir lives "on the road." many had seen "better days" and spoke very well. It was extraordinary to hear the voice of an educated woman coming from a haridan with disfigured face n'ld touted hiir straacling from under a men's cloth cap.

Wo fni't-ruVkers worn a strnnpfiv asported mlWion. and'l should like to know whether Tommy ever wonders hnw he- clinics bv bis jim ration.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19181008.2.87

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 11, 8 October 1918, Page 8

Word count
Tapeke kupu
455

THE FRUIT PICKERS Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 11, 8 October 1918, Page 8

THE FRUIT PICKERS Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 11, 8 October 1918, Page 8

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