220 
205 Beans. It has been found an excellent plan to cut down the 
stalks immediately after the crop is gathered, as they will soon 
throw up young shoots, and if showery weather succeed, yield 
a better crop of beaus than is obtained by late planting. 
206 Pinks, to Propagate. It may seem to be unnecessary 
that we should call attention to any mode of propagating the 
Pink, (Dianthus plumarius,) seeing that it can be effected so 
easily. We think, however, that Mr. Mearns, of the Zoological 
Gardens, 3Ianchester, to whose zeal and ability, horticulturalists 
owe much gratitude, has not only given us a more easy method 
of cultivating it than has hitherto been practised, but he has 
also, by his method, developed a principle which may prove of 
value. He uses no hand-glass, nor other covering, and observes 
that scarcely one in a hundred of his slips fail to grow. He 
says, “ I had many years been aware, that shortening, or any 
way cropping the foliage of the Pink, previously to putting it 
in to strike, was a bad plan; it likewise suggested itself to me, 
that, (something after my principle of coiling the vine) if I 
doubled up the lower end of each slip, it would undoubtedly 
facilitate the emission of roots ; and to enable me to accomplish 
it with the greater facility, I made the soil much firmer than is 
usually done in the general manner of piping. I do not use a 
dibber to plant with, but my fore-finger; I lay the lower end of 
my slip horizontally upon the surface of the soil, and so press it 
down into it; when, from the firmness of the soil, the slip is 
compelled to clip round the end of the finger; with the other 
hand I ttirn up the top to its perpendicular, and press the 
lower end down till the tail is about half an inch beneath the 
soil ; I then make the soil firm, and the operation is complete. 
If the slips are too long, I cut them up to a joint, to a suitable 
length. I have slipped off hundreds, and have not even cutoff 
the rag left on in slipping; and by the above process, not one 
cutting has failed ; yet it is better that the ragged end be cut off, 
either with a sharp knife, or with scissars, which is generally 
the most expeditious method. I planted 1700 slips this last 
season, not twenty of which missed, and all my plants are firm 
and stocky. The first season that I commenced operations here, 
I used to shade them, when the sun was powerful, for the first 
fortnight, with fresh cabbage or rhubarb leaves, laid over some 
pegs, stuck diagonally amongst them, or a few hoops bowed 
