158 
FIRST BOOK. 
''Do they grow better if the flowers are picked 
off?" asked one of the boys. 
6. ''Oh, yes!" replied their uncle. "For the 
same reason the planter has all the side-shoots 
picked out too; so that all the food the plant 
takes up may go to build up the leaves. 
7. " Each plant has to be looked to several 
times, that its young side-shoots may be picked 
off as fast as they appear. And the caterpillars 
must be picked off too." 
"Would they eat the leaves,Uncler' asked Harry. 
8. " Yes, very quickly. Twice a day they must 
be searched for. They try to get out of sight by 
crawling on the under part of the leaf, but as 
they are large they may be easily seen." 
"What are they like. Uncle?" asked Fred. 
9. " The one that does most damage is green ; 
if not killed it would, in time, change into a large 
sphinx moth. 
" When the leaves are quite ready, the stems 
are cut, and the leaves well dried." 
"I suppose they are fit to be smoked then," 
said Fred. 
10. " Ob, no!" said Mr. Hill. " They have yet 
to be cured, or they would be no better than 
dried weeds for smoking. But the curing is a 
troublesome business, and I must tell yen how 
that is done another day." 
