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JOURNAL OF HOKTICTJLTTJRE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ October 18, 1864. 



Now, from these lengthy dinners it follows there can he 

 no intellectual games, such as Canning loved ; little or no 

 time for music or anything rational. I once heard of three 

 maiden ladies whose evening entertainments were termed 

 " bohea, prayers, and turn out." I would say that some 

 modern dinners are, " cram, guzzle, and turn out." People 

 meet not so much for pleasant intercourse as for gluttony. 

 The world began to go wrong when dinners were later than 

 six o'clock. England has been on the decline ever since. 



The demand for cooks is something tremendous. Letters 

 from friends continually have this — " P.S. Can you send 

 me a good cook ? " The moment one meets a friend, after 

 hurried, very hurried, inquiries after one's health and family, 

 out comes the all-important subject, that of a cook. I had 

 an amusing" instance of this cook-demand a little time since. 

 I was at a railway station when a clerical acquaintance 

 caught sight of me, Ms looks, his gestures, his rapid run 

 across the line bespoke, so I deemed, his great regard for 

 me. I thought, '.' Ah ! the world is not heartless after all, 

 here is a man I hardly know, so pleased to see me. Here 

 he comes rushing foward to shake hands." Judge of my dis- 

 appointment when, breathless and panting as he was, out 

 came the old question. " Can you tell me of a good cook ? 

 Mrs. A. is distracted for want of one." Now-a-days it is 

 not, "Oh, for a poet; " but "Oh, for a cook." 



The son of a gentleman married his father's cook. Why 

 did he eT° so > what could be his reason ? She was not beauti- 

 ful, she was not rich, though her pie-crust might be. At 

 last a sensible matron, no% unfrequently the troubled mis- 

 tress of a cookless kitchen, suggested — "I think he did it to 

 secure a cook ; I can't secure one. The man was right, now 

 he will be sure to keep his cook." 



In olden times young ladies had a carving master as well 

 as a music master, it was not a bad idea. Why should not 

 our young ladies take lessons in cooking? Rely upon it, 

 the best mistress is the one who knows how work is done. 

 I would say, a lady who became a proficient in the art 

 should have a medal or a certificate, and it should be shown 

 to the gentlemen after dinner. I think it would be a kind 

 of marriage qualification. Besides, if all the cooks in Eng- 

 land should strike, as the London cabmen once did, and 

 cooks have become very independent, then with lady cooks 

 as a resource we should not starve. 



Now, although I thus rightly, for so I think, rail against 

 extravagant cooking, or too much cooking, yet as long as 

 the world lasts there must be cooking, and cleanly whole- 

 some cooking is ever to be praised, and he that helps me to 

 eat health-giving food does me a favour. I would say then, 

 every one ought to eat a good breakfast. If he does not he 

 cannot do a good morning's work, and the morning is the 

 best part of the day. Further, many have a poor appetite 

 for the morning's meal and just nibble a bit of toast and 

 drink off a cup of tea. This is not the breakfast to work 

 upon, it only ends in faintness at ten o'clock, hunger at 

 half-past ten, and a splitting headache the rest of the morn- 

 ing, besides, perhaps, a tendency to irritability the whole 

 day. Now, the working man in order to work well with 

 hand or pen in hand must make a good breakfast. If 

 he has naturally a bad appetite it must be tempted, and 

 nothing for this purpose is equal to bacon, more particularly 

 and especially Wiltshire bacon. 



Just in passing let me say that potted beef is, I find, a 

 good tempter to a sickly appetite, and let me just drop a 

 hint about its manufacture. It is often too dry and hard, 

 rather resembling semi-conjoined pellets of tow out of a 

 boy's popgun. Now, to remedy this, next time have beaten 

 up with the beef a bit or two of boiled bacon, then you will 

 have an improvement in flavour, and its consistency will be 

 that of a nice smooth spreading paste to cover your toast 

 with. 



As to, bacon I cure my own. I manage in this way. I buy 

 a little pig in May ; he is destined to die, weighing eight 

 score, in October or November, according to the weather. 

 This I call my summer pig. In August I buy a second, for 

 I have two sties. Thus I have two pigs at the time of the 

 year when there is an abundance of green stuff in the garden 

 of no use but to throw over to the pigs. Hoofs and stomach 

 do their work in producing plenty of manure for my garden. 

 By the time the first pig is killed the second has become a 

 strong fellow, N.B.— ^It is of no use to have a very little 



pig during the winter, he cannot stand the cold, but by 

 having him a good size before the winter he goes on bravely. 



Well, I kill this pig in March, never if possible exceeding 

 the eight score. If more, pigs are too fat and there is waste; 

 if smaller, the bacon is too thin. Thus I go on year after 

 year. I would say, that the country parson who does not 

 keep a pig or two has a lesson to learn in economy. If I 

 gain nothing — but I do gain — still the garden gains. Besides 

 the flavour of pork depends upon the food on which the pig 

 has been fed : hence, a wholesomely-fed pig is doubly valu- 

 able, into whose mouth has passed nothing but good vege- 

 tables, bran, meal, and sharps. 



As to the curing, I manage that in a tray made of beech 

 wood 4i feet long by 2 feet wide, and half a foot deep. One 

 particular precaution is, to have a hole made in one corner 

 to let the brine run off, in that lies the secret of good bacon. 

 At the end of six weeks take out your flitches, rub them with 

 bran, and putting them in bags, hang them in your kitchen. 

 Then begin on them, let rashers be cut very thin and be only 

 just done, once made a dry frizzle and all is ruined — flavour, 

 wholesomeness, relish, all gone. 



I have said nothing of the grand killing day — the charms 

 of pig's fry, griskin, spare-rib, chine, even hams must go 

 unsung. Pigs have one great vocation in life, at least in 

 death — viz., to make bacon, and those who like not rook-pie, 

 yet like well rashers of bacon. How they grace the break- 

 fast-table ! How pleasant to say, " My own feeding I assure 

 you, no fear, do take a piece;" and to get after a few 

 minutes the words, " How very nice, what a breakfast I' am 

 eating ! " As to myself, I rise with no fear of getting faint, 

 nor of being irritable. I do a good morning's work, perhaps 

 I even write a paper for " Our Journal." One last word 

 upon the sort of pigs. I prefer the black Berkshire breed 

 chiefly. I had once two at the same time, one black the 

 other white, we called them " Gown and Surplice," but 

 "Gown" fairly beat "Surplice," and so black became the 

 established colour at Hilltop Rectory. My dog is black, my 

 Bantams are black, and my pigs are black, the colour is con- 

 sistent throughout. — Wiltshire Rector. 



OUE LETTEE BOX. 



"Weight of Buff Cochin Cock (0. S.).—As it weighs 8^ lbs. at twenty- 

 two weeks, and, if it goes on at the same rate, it will weigh in December 

 nearly 11 lbs. Quite large enough for exhibition. 



Points in Nankin Bantams (A Poultry Fancier).— The hens should be 

 buff coloured all over, save the tail feathers, and a darker shade on the 

 hackle. The cocks should be red all over, except the tail; they should have 

 blue legs, and be very small. 



Colour of Black-breasted Game Bantam's Legs [R. J. IF.).— Any 

 colour is admissible for the Bantam's legs. Willow are the most esteemed. 

 The cocks should be dubbed as late as possible, but before they change 

 feathers. If dubbed too early the comb grows, and a second operation is 

 necessary. Say from five to six months. They cannot weigh too little. 



Book on Fowls {Cornwall).— " The Poultry Book," by Wingfield and 

 Johnson. It is out of print, but copies may be found occasionally at the 

 dealers in second-hand books. It has superior coloured portraits of prize 

 birds. 



Brahma Pootras (Idem).— We are perfectly convinced that they are only 

 a variety of the Shanghai, or a cross between that and the Malay. 



Bees PlObbed bt Bees [S. M. C.).— The best mode of preventing further 

 mischief is to elude the attacks by temporarily removing your bees to a dis- 

 tance of not less than a mile, or a mile and a half. In a few weeks' time 

 they may be safely returned to their old positions. Narrowing the entrances, 

 so as to admit of the passage of only a single bee, will enable the oesieged 

 colonies to offer a more stubborn resistance; but a short term of transporta- 

 tion is the most effectual remedy. 



Earwigs in Hives (A Lover of Bees). — Earwigs in hives are of course a 

 nuisance, but we have often found them stray into really strong colonies, 

 and never could perceive that they did any serious mischief. Messrs. Neigh- 

 bour & Son, 149 Regent Street, and .127 Holborn, manufacture Payne's and 

 every other description of bee-hive, and will state prices and furnish cata- 

 logues on application. 



Bees From a Distance [T. S. t Surrey). — If the bees come safe to hand 

 they had better be permitted to remain in their original hive until spring, 

 and then be allowed to swarm naturally. In the event of a smash, which is 

 far from improbable, the box and combs may yet have to be resorted to, but 

 in this you must be guided by circumstances. A transfer so late in the 

 year would at the best be very hazardous. With regard to the necessary 

 supply of pollen much must depend on the character of the remaining 

 months of autumn and the approaching winter. 



Tomato Sauce [O. J. JV.).— Stew six tomatoes in an oven till quite soft 

 take out the pulp with a teaspoon, -and add cayenne and vinegar till of the 

 consistence of thick cream. Italian— Take five or six onions, slice and put 

 them into a saucepan, with a little thyme, bay leaf, twelve or fifteen toma- 

 toes, a hit of butter, salt, half a dozen berries of allspice, a little Indian 

 saffron, and a glass of stock: set the whole on the fire, taking care to stir it 

 frequently, as it is apt to stick. When you perceive the saucce is tolerably 

 thick strain it like a. puree. 



