92 FLORIDA 



mometer " (pronounced etymologically, with the 

 accent on the penult). I fear he was worse hit 

 than he knew. At all events there were many- 

 acres of wilting tomato plants only a mile away 

 on the same road. One man, whom I saw look- 

 ing over his field, was calling the attention of 

 a solicitous neighbor to the fact that a certain 

 part of the plantation had fared better than the 

 rest. A few burning stumps had happened to be 

 left smouldering on one edge of the field over- 

 night, and the wind had drifted a light blanket 

 of smoke across that corner. 



But even in unprotected gardens the different 

 parts had not fared alike. Here the tender plants 

 were wilting as the sun shone on them, and yon- 

 der, only five or ten yards away, there was no 

 symptom of blight. So true is it of tomato vines, 

 as of nobler creations, that one shall be taken and 

 the other left. The frost is like the wind, it striketh 

 where it listeth, and thou seest the effect thereof ; 

 and the poor man suffereth with the rich. 



Such are the cruel uncertainties of truck farm- 

 ing in this sub-tropical region, far down toward 

 the very tip of Florida. Like the speculator in 

 copper or in oil, the farmer goes to bed rich and 

 gets up poor. But, like the dabbler in " shares," 

 the farmer is not easily discouraged. Though he 

 has moved from one point to another, farther 



