With the success of Albert’s tobacco every other farmer in the region rushed to get their own crops in the following season, but even the best could not match that of Albert, who given the triumph of his debut had been granted the entire side paddock. But despite this, he still only planted half his paddock into tobacco, leaving the rest- that which had been planted the year before- to be divided up between several other crops as diverse as beetroot, broccoli, turnip, Brussels’ sprouts and even a short row of rice down by the water’s edge. The amounts he planted would never pass as commercial crops, but from watching him work I’m sure he was testing out whether the soil could handle these crops, and the regimen they would need in order to thrive. He approached the task most diligently and scientifically; working out the precise conditions needed to grow a vast assortment of plants. When asked why he would do such a thing he merely shrugged and replied “why not”.
Everyone else was chasing the most immediate profit and through their herd mentality increasing the supply and lowering the prices they would get, not to mention placing all their eggs in the one basket. In effect, he was sacrificing short-term profit for long-term knowledge and stability. Whenever the popular crops failed, Albert always seemed to be one step ahead, as if having foreseen it; already focussing on what, to him, logically came next. He never seemed to be caught unawares by droughts or pests or rot, and if he did there was always some contingency in place.
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