FORBIDDEN FRUIT.

THE EXALTED GOOSEBERRY.

Amongst the most unexpected of home troubles attributable to the war are the regulations and restrictions concerning gooseberries. The most gifted of prophets would never have anticipated that an erstwhile cheap, common, and despised fruit such as the gooseberry would occupy the attention of highly placed Government officials. Only a short memory is required to recall the days when baskets of English gooseberries went a-begging in Covent-garden. Those were times of plenty, so the fruit was neglected. People who enjoyed the popular pastime of pretending to have exclusive and cultivated tastes would barely mention the gooseberry; and as for offering their guests a tart made of the fruit – one might as well have been seen in Suburbia in shirt-sleeves on a hot summer’s day. Gooseberry jam was an object of derision. Nothing less than raspberry or strawberry would suit the self-respecting householder. Now, what a change has taken place. Gooseberries being wanted – and therefore demanded – by the Government, the people have discovered that after all there is virtue in the fruit. Members of the public have visited Covent-garden in generous numbers throughout the week. They were in quest of gooseberries; and when told plainly that the recent order prevented the sale of the fruit, except under certain welldefined conditions their indignation knew no bounds. If can easily be imagined that men in Covent-garden thoroughly enjoyed the fun, and offered much sympathy and all kinds of humorous suggestions. Some ladies, upon being met with a point-black refusal to break the law, described it as rudeness. The serious side of the question is that the gooseberry crop is exceedingly small, and therefore the public must be prepared to accept an infinitesimal share of the fruit in any form. There is no need to labour the fact that the needs of the Army and Navy must come first. So far, strawberries have been sold freely at Covent-garden; but there exists a shrewd suspicion that before long restrictions will be imposed upon the sale of the fruit. During the last two days retail prices have varied from 1s 6d to 2s per lb, at which rates the public have bought the fruit most eagerly. The Hampshire crop is badly in need of rain, and if the present dry weather continues the fruit will be exhausted quickly. A sign of summer is the resumption of the pea-shelling industry. Little groups of women may be seen busily engaged in preparing peas for the pot. With deft fingers they remove the shells, after which the peas are carefully graded by means of sieves made with mathematical accuracy. It is to be feared that the crop of peas is small, which is a cause of regret, as the luscious vegetable would be most welcome in abundance. Covent-garden is already experiencing difficulty in regard to female labour, which is not forthcoming so freely as in bygone days. Many more pea-shellers are wanted even at this early stage of the season; but if the ladies prefer Government work for patriotic or pecuniary reasons, those who have been in the habit of having their peas prepared to perfection will be compelled to have them done in the ordinary way. Quite common cooks will shell the peas and mix various sizes in the one boiling. They (the peas) will not be so attractive, but the food-value remains the same.