26 THE ROACH. 



is as good as the other, and the roach fisherman would find 

 it to be to his advantage to have a little of both mixed to- 

 gether, so that he could ring the changes should occasion 

 require. A good handful of each will be quite sufficient to 

 cook at once, and they need not be boiled separate, as* they 

 can easily be distinguished one from, the other, even when 

 miixed together. The best plan to adopt in preparing wheat 

 for the hook is to put as much as you require into a basin 

 and cover it with cold water, letting it stand to steep for 

 several hours, eight or ten, or even more would be none the 

 worse. Then put the com so steeped into a linen rag or 

 any old piece of white calico, and tie a string round it in such 

 a manner that the wheat has plenty of room to swell during 

 the process of boiling. This is a most important point, as 

 it is absolutely necessary that the wheat should swell out to 

 its utmost capacity, and if the rag containing it is tied too 

 closely the main object will be defeated. Now put it in a 

 saucepan with sufficient cold water to well cover it, and set 

 it on the fire, or at least near the fire, in such a position that 

 the water slowly boils. It is not a good plan to let it boil 

 too fast. The more slowly the water boils the bigger the 

 wheat swells out. The water in the saucepan should be 

 emptied out at intervals, and fresh clean cold water put in, 

 and again reboiled for another hour or so, changing it again 

 at the end of that time. It takes four hours, sometimes 

 longer, according to the fire, to ^roperly cree or cook wheat, 

 and during this time the water it is boiled in should be 

 changed and fresh substituted five or six times. When the 

 wheat is swelled out to nearly the size of a pea — which very 

 good quality corn will sometimes do — and it cracks open 

 half-way round the kernel and shows the white inside, it is 

 cooked sufficient and is ready for use. Some tryos may 

 wonder why I recommend the water wheat is cooked in to 

 be changed so often. The reason is because one small 

 quantity of water in use all the time it is cooking is apt to get 

 very much discoloured and turn the wheat dark in colour, 

 instead of being white and clean, as it will be, or should be, if 

 properly cooked. If the angler has a good-sized kitchen 

 boiler to his fireplace it will save trouble. These articles 

 generally hold several gallons of water, and are mostly slowly 



