A LITTLE LAND 126 



AND A LIVING 



trols the results far more than seed or soil, over 

 which man has no control, and that is the climate. 

 Nature performs such freaks in this domain that 

 farming seems a little less certain than most 

 forms of gambling. For instance, a cold north 

 wind has been blowing down here in Alabama, 

 for the past ten days or more, that is blasting 

 everything after they had been growing for 

 weeks in the soft summer air. Once, in Colorado, 

 we had ten acres of navy beans. They were grow- 

 ing wonderfully; we expected to make between 

 $1000 and $2000 easily; had the beans all sold to 

 hotels in Denver, before the crop was half grown. 

 It was the marvel of the whole country; people 

 came from far and near to see those beans. We 

 were not farmers ; had no experience. Just pure 

 "luck." We were spending the summer out 

 there, and raised the beans to see what we could 

 do. Well, early in August there came a hard 

 freeze one night. The next morning our beans 

 were utterly destroyed. The " oldest inhabitant " 

 had never heard of such a freeze that time of the 

 year. We had a neighbor in Colorado who in the 

 early days made $900 one year on potatoes. He 



