IV.] MAKING BREAD* 61 



through. Bush-wood tnat is strong, not green and 

 not too old, if it be hard in its nature and has some 

 sticks in it, may do. The woody parts of furze, or 

 ling, will heat an oven very well. But the thing is, 

 to have a lively and yet somewhat strong fire ; so 

 that the oven may be heated in about 15 minutes, and 

 retain its heat sufficiently long. 



105. The oven should be hot by the time that the 

 dough, as mentioned in Paragraph 103, has remained 

 in the lump about 20 minutes. When both are ready, 

 take out the fire, and wipe the oven out clean, and, 

 at nearly about the same moment, take the dough out 

 upon the lid of the baking trough, or some proper 

 place, cut it up into pieces, and make it up into loaves, 

 kneading it again into these separate parcels ; and, 

 as you go on, shaking a little flour over your board, 

 to prevent the dough from adhering to it. The loaves 

 should be put into the oven as quickly as possible 

 after they are formed ; when in, the oven-lid, or door, 

 should be fastened up very closely ; and, if all be pro- 

 perly managed, loaves of about the size of quartern 

 loaves will be sufficiently baked in about two hours. 

 But they usually take down the lid, and look at the 

 bread, in order to see how it is going on. 



106. And what is there worthy of the name of 

 plague, or trouble, in all this ? Here is no dirt, no 

 filth, no rubbish, no litter , no slop. And, pray, what 

 can be pleasanter to behold? Talk, indeed, of your 

 pantomimes and gaudy shows ; your processions and 

 installations and coronations ! Give me, for a beau- 

 tiful sight, a neat and smart woman, heating her 

 oven and setting in her bread ! And, if the bustle 

 does make the sign of labour glisten on her brow, 

 where is the man that would not kiss that off, rather 

 than lick the plaster from the cheek of a duchess. 



107. And what is the result ? Why, good ? whole- 

 some food, sufficient for a considerable family for a 

 week, prepared in three or four hours. To get this 

 quantity of food, fit to be eaten, in the shape of po- 

 tatoes, how many fires ! what a washing, what a 

 boiling, what a peeling, what a slopping, and what a 



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