The Devil's Lima Triangle

[ThomWV]

Without going to the trouble to take a picture just imagine four polls each 8 feet long tied together at the tops and with each leg spread out to form a T-pee on which pole lima beans are to be grown. I've got 4 of these trellis' in a row to make up my lima bed. So there are 16 legs contacting the ground and two weeks ago I planted three pre-soaked seeds at the bottoms of each. Then I sat back and waited for them to sprout. Package sprouting time was 7 days - but I know how much that information is worth. I started looking for them at about day 4. Nothing. Day 7. Nothing. Day 10. Nothing. What in hell is going on here? This morning I could not stand it any more; I started digging. I scratched the soil, gingerly at first, and then more frantically as my babies were no where to be found.

In the end I found one sprouted seed. That was it. I didn't find the rotted remains of seeds planted too early in cold soil, and I didn't see any sign at all that something had got to them. They were planted on freshly turned soil that had been completely weeded beforehand - it was plain dirt with nothing to hide a burrowing animal's path or the pecking of a bird - the soil was utterly undisturbed.

I just can not even guess what might have happened to those seeds I planted. They are simply gone without a trace.

My heart was broken.

I replanted this afternoon.

What on earth could have done this? What sort of thief in the night steals a man's limas and leaves no trace? Who is this vile scoundrel?