
Every year the farmers plant sorghum around their eggplants. It's always tricky in the spring to not tromp the new seedlings emerging in a tidy line. Like the eggplants themselves, the sorghum steadily grows in the rich soil of their fields. As it gets taller it thickens into a lush fence standing finally at about eight or nine feet in height.
The sorghum serves a dual purpose. It provides a wind barrier for the eggplants inside the ring of tall grass. High winds - not at all unusual here in Tokyo - can break branches and desicate the plants as well as cause leaves to rub on the fruit leaving a blemish that makes it unattractive to the average shopper. The sorghum plants also act as a trap crop. A pesky little bug that adores eggplant almost as much as the Japanese themselves happens to like sorghum more. A quick examination of the grassy leaves can reveal a tiny population happily snacking away and ignoring the plants inside the barrier. Now, if I could only convince the farmers to harvest the grain...
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