390 THE FRUIT GARDEN 



growers used large oil lamps distributed over the house, but the crop was not 

 even then quite safe. This went on for some years, when it occurred to some 

 growers to try another ground crop on the floors of their houses (after the 

 potatoes were dug), during the two or three years before the vines were 

 established. Now the only crop likely to succeed was the tomato. And it 

 was found that a very good return could be obtained within a few months of 

 having built a glass-house. The returns, indeed, were so remarkably good that 

 it became easy, while prices for tomatoes ruled high, to start a range of glass- 

 houses for market purposes with comparatively little actual capital. 



Buying Land. — It frequently happened that the land could be bought in 

 what are locally called Wheat-rents or Quarters. The wheat-rent is a system 

 in the Channel Islands which answers much the same purpose as the mortgage 

 does in England. It represents a capital value of £20 sterling secured on the 

 property, and the annual payment of ^i by the debtor. But so long as this 

 annual charge is paid the wheat-rent holder cannot demand repayment of this 

 capital from the owner of the land. If he wishes to realise his wheat-rent, he 

 may offer it to the landowner, or he may sell his security to any other buyer. 

 Of course, the prices asked for land under such conditions and with such 

 prospects were very high in comparison with the price such land could yield 

 from ordinary agricultural treatment. But as the prospective small grower would 

 only require an acre or so, he was not daunted by having to pay, say, double 

 its agricultural value : he even frequently paid more than double ; so that, 

 supposing its agricultural letting value was £j, lOS. an acre per annum, he 

 would, by buying in wheat-rent, be willing to undertake to pay ^15 per annum 

 in perpetuity, but he really often paid £,7.0. The quantity of land he required 

 was so little that he deemed himself safe in paying for the accommodation. 



Building. — Having secured the land, then came the question of building 

 houses. The difficulty, however, was not serious if the grower was a man 

 considered to be reliable. Timber merchants were at hand ready to take some 

 risk, and the glass merchant as well, with the result that the grower frequently 

 found himself selling his tomatoes even before he had paid the cost of in- 

 stalling himself as a grower. While prices were high the grower was on pretty 

 sure ground ; and many growers of to-day can trace their beginnings and final 

 good results to taking advantage at the right moment of the opportunities which 

 then occurred. 



Advent of Disease. — Tomatoes were in the first days of their culture 

 always planted on the floors of the houses, and the results were all that could be 

 wished ; but as time went on, and this crop continued to show good profits, 

 many houses were built for tomato-growing only. This meant the same crop 

 year after year in the same soil, with the result that frequently the plants became 

 diseased, and very uncertain and unsatisfactory were the returns. Removing 

 the surface soil and replacing with fresh soil were tried, and in many cases proved 

 successful, but this was not a certain cure. And in time the soil became a 

 perfect hotbed of disease. Of course, some soils gave out sooner than others. 

 That which was high and well-drained usually broke down, especially if allowed 

 to become dust-dry in winter, sooner than lower lying land, which is usually 



