The past winter, one of the mildest in living memory, has resulted in an exceptionally heavy spaghetti crop. Another reason why this may be a bumper year lies in the virtual disappearance of the tiny creature whose depredations have caused much concern in the past. Spaghetti cultivation here in switzerland is not, of course, carried out on anything like the tremendous scale of the italian industry. Many people are often puzzled by the fact that spaghetti is produced at such uniform length. But this is the result of many years of patient endeavour by plant breeders whoave succeeded in producing the perfect spargetting. For those who love this dish, there is nothing like real, home grown sparg