CHAP, i SYL V A 211 



are hurtful. It is better to clip, and let the leaves fall 

 upon a subtended sheet or blanket, than to gather them 

 by hand: and to gather them, than to strip them, which 

 marrsand gaulsthe branches, and bruises the leaves that 

 should hardly be touched. Some there are who lop off 

 the boughs, and make it their pruning, and it is a toler- 

 able way, so it be discreetly done in the over-thick parts 

 of the tree; but these leaves gather'd from a separated 

 branch, will die, and wither much sooner than those 

 which are taken from the tree immediately, unless 

 you set the stem in water. Leaves gathered from 

 boughs cut off, will shrink in three hours ; whereas 

 those you take from the living tree, will last as many 

 days ; and being thus a while kept, are better than 

 over-fresh ones. It is a rule, never to gather in a 

 rainy season, nor cut any branch whilst the wet is 

 upon it ; and therefore against such suspected times, 

 you are to provide before-hand, and to reserve them 

 in some fresh, but dry place : The same caution you 

 must observe for the dew, tho' it do not rain, for wet 

 food kills the worms. But if this cannot be altogether 

 prevented, put the leaves between a pair of sheets 

 well dried by the fire, and shake them up and down 

 'till the moisture be drunk up in the linnen, and then 

 spreading them to the air a little, on another dry 

 cloth, you may feed with them boldly. The top- 

 leaves and oldest, would be gathered last of all, as 

 being most proper to repast the worms with, towards 

 their last change. The gatherer must be neat, and 

 have his hands clean, and his breath sweet, and not 

 poison'd with onions, or tabacco, and be careful not 

 to press the leaves, by crouding them into the bags 

 or baskets. Lastly, that they gather only (unless in 

 case of necessity) leaves from the present, not from 



