One day, when Hal and Mab came home from school, they hurried out, after leaving their books in the house, for they wanted to play some games."
"Aren't you going to work in your gardens a little while?" asked their mother. "Daddy is out there."
"Is he?" cried Hal. "Did he come home early?"
"Yes, on purpose to hoe among his tomatoes, I think he is cutting down the weeds which grew very fast since the last rain we had."
"Our parts of the garden are all right," said Hal. "My corn doesn't need hoeing."
"Nor my beans," said Mab. "But let's go out and see Daddy, Hal. Maybe he'll tell us something new about the garden."
"Well, where are your hoes, toodlekins?" called Daddy Blake, when he saw the two children coming toward him.
"There aren't any weeds in my corn," said Hal.
"Nor in my beans," added Mab.
"Not very many, it is true," said Daddy Blake. "But still there are some, and if you cut down the weeds when they are small, and when there are not many of them, you will find it easier to keep your garden looking neat, and, at the same time, make sure your crops will grow better, than if you wait and only hoe when the weeds are big.