776. _To Propagate Plants._--It may be received as a general principle, that all plants which produce shoots may be propagated by cuttings; though some plants are much more difficult to propagate in this manner than others. Generally speaking, all the soft-wooded plants which have abundance of sap, such as geraniums, fuchsias, petunias, and verbenas, strike root readily. The usual mode for striking cuttings is to put them in fine sand, and to cover them with a bell-glass. Some cuttings which are difficult to strike are directed to have bottom heat; that is, the pots in which they are planted should be plunged into a hot-bed, that the stimulus afforded by the heat may induce the cuttings to throw out roots. 777. _Plants watered by being placed in Dishes, improper._--The practice of placing flats or saucers under plants, and feeding them by the roots, that is, pouring the water continually into these dishes, and never on the earth at top, is highly improper. The water should always be poured on the surface of the earth, that it may filter completely through it, to the benefit and refreshment of the fibres. 778. _When to plant Annual and Perennial Flowers._--Many kinds of annuals and perennials, sown in March and the beginning of April, will be fit for transplanting about the end of May, and may either be planted in patches about borders, or in beds, as fancy shall direct. Of these, the kinds improved by transplanting are, amaranthuses, China asters, columbines, French and African marigolds, fox-gloves, hollyhocks, India pinks, love-lies-bleeding, mallows, mignonette, prince's feather, scabious, stocks, sun-flowers, sweet-williams, wall-flowers, and others. They should be planted out in a showery time, if possible, or otherwise be frequently watered, till they have struck root. 779. _To preserve Flower Seeds._--Those who are curious about saving flower-seeds must attend to them in the month of August. Many kinds will begin to ripen apace, and should be carefully sticked and supported, to prevent them from being shaken by high winds, and so partly lost. Others should be defended from much wet; such as asters, marigolds, and generally those of the class Syngenesia; as from the construction of their flowers they are apt to rot, and the seeds to mould, in bad seasons. Whenever they are thought ripe, or indeed any others, in wet weather, they should be removed to an airy shed or loft, gradually dried, and rubbed or beat out at conveniency. 780. _Easy Method of discovering whether or not Seeds are sufficiently ripe._--Seeds, when not sufficiently ripe, will swim, but when arrived at full maturity, they will be found uniformly to fall to the bottom; a fact that is said to hold equally true of all seeds, from the cocoa-nut to the orchis. HINTS TO FARMERS. 781. There are some things that all farmers ought to know. Sheep put into fresh stubble are apt to be killed by eating too much grain.