WHAT I KNOW ABOUT GARDENING. 83 



would sing, as he kept at a distance, " You 

 can't catch me with any such double device." ' 

 The bird would know, or think he knew, 

 that I would not hang up such a scare, in 

 the expectation that it would pass for a man, 

 and deceive a bird ; and he woidd therefore 

 look for a deeper plot. I expected to out- 

 wit the bird by a duplicity that was sim- 

 plicity itself. I may have over-calculated 

 the sagacity and reasoning power of the bird. 

 At any rate, I did over-calculate the amount 

 of peas I should gather. 



But my game was only half played. In 

 another part of the garden were other peas, 

 growing and blowing. To these I took good 

 care not to attract the attention of the bird 

 by any scarecrow whatever ! I left the old 

 scarecrow conspicuously flaunting above the 

 old vines ; and by this means I hope to keep 

 the attention of the birds confined to that 

 side of the garden. I am convinced that 

 this is the true use of a scarecrow: it is a 

 lure, and not a warning. If you wish to 

 save men from any particular vice, set up a 



