SECOND EDITION “HO, HO!”

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1930, Page 5

SECOND EDITION

“HO, HO!”

WHERE THE CABBAGES “POP”

A KENTUCKY MAN’S STORY

Even though he came from Kentucky one could not help believing him. He was seated in the lounge at the Midland Hotel, Wellington, says the “Dominion,’’ saying sweet things about New Zealand, and' meaning them. He had .enjoyed his Christmas dinner at Hokitika as well as at any place during his sixty years’ experience of Christmas dinners. He knew all about the urban, suburban, and rural scenery of Japan, Canada, Java, Costa Rica, and the Panama Zone, but for pure, unadulterated beauty the virgin forests between Hokitika and the Franz Josef Glacier had them, all skinned to death.” Incidentally, lie mentioned that in the. course of his pergrenations he had visited Alaska. “A WORLD SITE,”

“There yon have a wonderful country,” said t-he Kentuckian. “Talk about glaciers. Yours are very fine indeed, and I enjoyed having an eyeful of them; but, sir, there is one in Alaska that is a world site. It conies right out to the coast, , and from a great height, drops big ocebergs into the water from time to time. From

the steamer which sands a mile off you

. can.see the big wall of blue ice; then , ,the whistle is blown and the vibrations cause the ice to fall off the lip of the glacier into the ocean. It isn’t every pi ape you can whistle up an iceberg when you want it, but the Takau Glacier answers the call every .time.” WHEN THE CABBAGES “POP.” “But Alaska has lots of wonders. In midsummer there is no darkness at all. The. sun shines for about twentytwo hours, and even when it doesn’t shine it is still light enough to read. This has a peculiar effect on all vegetation. One man I knew planted cale

bages in the early summer, and as the light lengthened out they grew and grew until they reached over 351 b. in weight. Then when the, heart is so big that it must break, it' does so with, a loud pop that can be heard for a hundred yards around. At times you yan’t hear. yourself speak for the poppingl of; the cabbages in the gardens. ‘Another curious tiling due to the fact that light induces growth is the Way. notatoes are affected. There is no time for them to go to sleep, so they , just keep on growing until they begin to bulge above the ground, when they know it is time to get the hoe. Ho ! ho !”