h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Wasn't it potato that he was growing?

But were potatoes used as decoration in baroque times

(That is, not the potato bit, but the plant)

Are there no extra points for why they were being guarded? That's the best part, after all!

It certainly is. The game's rules, however, allow extra points for QI answers, and just three points for the correct answer.

Peter the Great of Russia built a lot of canals. Was it him?

,,,,oh sorry, just read pp. 2, 3 & 4! Silly me!

Prussian Blue is not an azo dye nor is it derived from plant. It is a salt composed of potassium, iron and cyanide

(K3Fe(CN)6 to be exact)

Just thought I'd throw that in here as I've no idea about the rest of
this

Major wars involving Prussians...

Napoleonic wars/french revolutionary wars
Franco-Prussian war
1st World war I guess
War of the Spanish Succession
...

Ben - points for that, yes, they were all very tall men. Over six Prussian feet, meaning at least 188cm.

The tallest, at 217 cm, was an Irishman named James Kirkland, but his father was also sent some tall soldiers in a gift exchange from Russia - when he sent the Amber Room there!


Toy Box - they were, indeed, potatoes. And they have pretty flowers, so they were used in a purely ornamental fashion in baroque gardens...


Now, why were they under heavy guard?


Orcus - none of the above wars. But it involved all the major European powers and was fought over four continents!

Friedrich II's father, not James Kirkland's

Maybe to preven people from raiding potato crops for some reason?

I guess that in those times, growing potatoes would be a very useful help against possible famines, maybe the Old Fritz didn't want to risk his folk starving.

*prevenT*

(as for why people would raid the crops: I was thinking of something along the lines of, to destroy them because they would be Food of the Devil, what with growing in the ground)

You're getting very close with the second sentence, Toy Box, but the first is entirely wrong!

And yes, they were considered the "food of the devil" by some, and since they're nightshades, the berries could make you very ill (and did, when people ate them)

Maybe it's to protect them agains birds then?

Or just to keep the guards busy?

(againsT. What is it with my t key, I wonder? )

No, neither. But you were getting really close!

Actually....



Which of all those mixed-up statements was the close one?

The combination thereof! You just have to make the final leap.

Mmh, let's see: he was growing potatoes for food and kept them guarded against people (possibly clergy?) who would want to destroy this devil's plant?

Or to keep the devil away?

I feel like when I'm staring at those 3D images which used to be so popular a few years ago. Never saw anything other than pretty lines on them, while everybody else was going, 'Oooh, a zeppelin!' and 'Look how sweet these dolphins are!'