394 THE FRUIT GARDEN 



bodies of the island and the public in general that it is not wise to continue to 

 burden so heavily this great industry. 



For the wider view of the fruit-growing industry taken by the governing 

 bodies thanks are due to the local Growers' Association, and it is likely that 

 in the near future some material relief will be afforded. This certainly would 

 be most welcome, as of late the grower has had an additional burden by having 

 to pay the one shilling duty on all coal exported from Great Britain. 



The local growers did hope they would have been exempt from this tax ; 

 the home authorities were approached, but the claim was disallowed. This 

 additional tax still further justifies the grower's plea for relief. The cost of 

 production is gradually increasing, without any promise of better prospects. 

 The market value of the produce is gradually but surely declining, and the 

 grower views with apprehension the time in the near future when his present 

 margin of profit may be entirely swept away, and give place to a balance on the 

 wrong side. The situation is certainly one which demands most serious and 

 generous consideration. 



PROSPECTS 



Tv/enty years or so ago quite a number of limited liability companies were 

 floated, and in the majority of cases were sore disappointments to the unfortunate 

 shareholders, and with very few exceptions failed to redeem anything like the 

 promises of the prospectus. Fruit-growing for market in the Channel Islands, 

 as elsewhere, depends upon the grower's personal attention. These islands are 

 particularly the field of the working grower. The man who can and does 

 devote all his time, thought, and energy to the work will probably succeed. 

 But the man who decides to enter upon a venture as a fruit-grower here, and 

 thinks he can be industrious and energetic by proxy will experience failure and 

 disappointment, and the disappointment may not be the most s,erious part of 

 the venture. 



The French have a proverb which says, " It is the master's eye that 

 fattens the ox," and by deduction it is prudent advice to say, that unless the 

 master has an eye and is willing to use it, he had better give up the idea of 

 fattening the ox. If you make up your mind to start fruit-growing in the 

 Channel Islands, you must at the same time make up your mind to work your- 

 self, and not by proxy. 



We have no desire to daunt any one who is prepared to be thorough and 

 honest with himself, but the evidence of failure through lack of these qualities 

 is so abundant in the Islands, that we cannot refrain from giving expression to 

 the above facts. A little capital, plenty of energy and diligence, may bring 

 success, but much money without the diligence and application of the pro- 

 prietor is in imminent danger of being lost. Insolvency is not a condition 

 unknown among the Channel Island fruit-growers ; jnany instances exist where 

 men have signally failed through no other apparent cause than the lack of those 

 qualities which are necessary to make the business a success. It is safe to say, 

 that unless the grower can depend upon himself he had better by far abandon 



