PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP 77 



his produce into Birmingham market, twelve 

 miles away. The return journey is always 

 made fully laden with manures and neces- 

 saries. Every man is absolutely " on his own." 

 No assistance is asked for or expected either 

 from his neighbours or elsewhere. A servant 

 of the County Council calls once a quarter to 

 collect instalments, and an occasional visit 

 from a member of the Committee interested 

 in the scheme, is all that is vouchsafed them. 



That they are successful, and in some cases 

 even prosperous, is evident. No instalments 

 are in arrear at the present time. From year 

 to year more fruit-trees are planted, and the 

 cultivation is intensified. It would be very 

 difficult to introduce legitimate co-operation 

 among them. Each man is proud of his 

 individuahsm. They possess a spirit of 

 healthy selfishness which it would be a pity 

 to destroy. It means much to a holder that 

 it is his own horse and cart, his own produce, 

 and his own bargains he strikes when market- 

 ing in Birmingham. Any innovation that 

 would tend to reduce him to merely a mem- 

 ber of a producing community would meet 

 with his strong disapproval. It must not be 



