DAFFODILS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1929, Page 2

DAFFODILS

S' - .LAKY’S, Stilly Isles, Feb. 2n. In tile balmy air of a golden davlike morning, secluded in tlieir little world girdled liv llu* sunlit sea. the people of the Scillv Isles arc busily gathering in the scented harvest of spring. So warm is it to-day that tliev work —men, women, and children--with their sleeves tucked up, and their quiet faces, that art* hunt close to the (lowers, which are practically their sole source of livelihood, are browned by the wind aiul the sun. In' St. .Mary’s and in its sister island of Treseo. St. .Martin’s St. Agnes, and I’ryher, they are reaping the dafiodiis and the narcissi as carefully as il each bloo mwas made of gold. For the lovely crops are hv no means bountiful this season. CHOPS UK DUCK'D UY T'KOST.

The frosts of last. March wrought great havoc in the fields, and whereas 22b tons of flowers were shipped from tlie islands last Kehruary. the toatl amount .for this month will he less than (U) tons.

To some extent, however, flic growers are compensated by the high prices which, owing to the shortage of blooms have been and still are being obtained in the London market.

It is generally reckoned that tin narkct value of an acre of daffodils or inrcissi is about Cloo.

Unless he comes in a very prolific season, a vistor to the islands who expects to see them covered with flowers in bloom will bo disappointed. Only in places where picking does not keep pace with blooming is there to he seen a whole vista of colour.

1,1 KK. A SCENT FACTORY

As soon as the flowers are partly open they arc picked and brought into heated glasshouses. Here they remain for a day or two set in lukewarm water and it is here, when they are ready for pausing. that masses of blooms may be seen in all their glory of white and gold. The air in the glasshouse is to-day heavy with the perfume of the congre,„ted flowers, and wandering down the long aisles of them is like touring a scent factory. When the flowers have opened, and have attained to perfection o>f colour they are removed from the glasshouses and placed in unheatod buildings to cool. After a little while they are ready for packing. The peculiarly un-English .character of the climate in these islands is strikingly apparent in Treseo just now There, in the wonderful gardens surrounding Major Dorricn-Smith’s home loses are blooming amid giant palms. All the flowers of the English spring fraternise there with the trees and nlants and flowers of every foreign clime.