240 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
foregoing plan, and still further by adopting the same 
treatment to the old early-forced plants; if they are not 
required for the next season’s forcing, a very nice tall 
crop may be thus produced as a second crop. 
I no not think that bacon is sufficiently valued and used 
among people of small means. It is a most wholesome and 
excellent description of animal food—light, nutritious, and 
agreeable, when good of its kind, and nicely dressed. A 
piece of well cured bacon, with abundance of cabbage and 
parsnips, is a dinner fit for royalty in fact, although its 
simple nature makes it often considered vulgar and dis¬ 
tasteful. 
In former days, bacon was almost universally tbe food of 
the farmer and the labourer—at least, in those districts of 
England where it principally abounds ; and what better 
proof could be given of its strengthening qualities than that 
the stout stalwart sons of the soil were brought up upon it, 
and rarely tasted other sorts of animal food ? In the 
present times the case is much altered. The farmer’s 
family is too frequently fed with more expensive, and 
perhaps less wholesome, viands; and the poor hard-working 
peasant is thankful when he can enjoy a sufficiency of bread, 
without thinking of anything to increase its relish. When 
wages are low, and bacon is sevenpenee or eightpence per 
pound, and even higher still, it is not possible to obtain it; 
but now very good bacon indeed is to be bought for four- 
pence per pound, and even less ; and this brings it within 
the reach of the poor, at least occasionally. I do not wish 
to eat better bacon than that which we procure at four- 
pence ; and we find it more palatable than what is home- 
cured, inasmuch as that it seems less rich. We have eaten 
it very good as low as threepence per pound, but then it is 
uncertain, and sometimes it possesses a disagreeable smell; 
but at fourpence it has never failed. Economists would do 
well to turn their attention to this cheap bacon, one pound 
of which, with plenty of vegetables, would make an excel¬ 
lent dinner for a family, because bacon goes so much 
farther than meat, and there is no bone. A side of bacon, 
kept in a dry cool place, is a treasure to the striving family, 
particularly when the house possesses a little garden full of 
nice cabbages. Even if vegetables are to be bought, the 
expense is not great when they constitute food, which they 
really do with a small piece of bacon ; and with well-made 
mustard, and everything clean and neatly laid out upon the 
table, can we complain of such true English fare ? What 
is provincially called a “ hollow ” pudding is a great addi¬ 
tion, when the simple repast requires a little assistance. 
This is merely a light pudding made with flour and lard, or 
dripping—the latter, if delicate, is best. About three ounces 
of dripping to one pound of flour is the right proportion. 
It must be rubbed into the flour with a spoon, a little salt 
and grated ginger added, and then boiled, but not so long as 
to make it eat hard; it should be light and feathery to the 
taste. It may be eaten either with the dinner or afterwards 
as pudding ; and in either case it is extremely good. 
Another cheap and excellent pudding is a “ hard batter ” 
pudding, which may be eaten served up in the same way. 
It is simply batter without eggs, thoroughly well boiled, and 
it ought to cut smooth and very firm, but not hard. To 
those who are anxious to live cheaply such simple prepara¬ 
tions are very useful,—the expense is trifling, the addition 
to a frugal dinner considerable, and they are very palatable 
also. Suet, lard, and dripping in puddings are extremely 
nourishing—they are animal food, in fact; and to those who 
cannot obtain much meat they are valuable substitutes. 
Cold bacon is excellent for breakfast, when meat cannot 
be indulged in by gentlemen, and anything is required in 
addition to the sweet household loaf. Many persons of 
delicate health have derived benefit from taking a slice 
(Januarv 16 . 
Radishes, Lettuce, Carrots, Cauliflowers, and such-like 
framing crops, should occasionally have dry healthy 
dust sifted amongst them on a dry day, after being first 
surface-stirred. James Barnes. 
either cold or toasted, instead of butter, at the morning meal. 
When thus eaten, bacon should not be fried, but toasted on 
a fork before the fire like bread. The greasy particles 
escape, and the rasher is drier and more wholesome. The 
drops that fall from it should be caught in a basin, because 
bacon dripping is good for many purposes. Rashers for 
breakfast should be cut from bacon already dressed. 
The water in which bacon has been boiled alone, should 
be poured into a basin aud suffered to grow cold, that the 
fat which settles on the surface may be skimmed off. It is 
useful in many ways. If cabbage has been boiled with it 
(which improves the cabbage inconceivably), the skimmings 
would not be so good; and in this case the liquor will make 
very good soup for the pour, if rice and vegetables are 
added; or they will thankfully accept it just as it is. Nothing 
should be thrown away. A little bit of dripping or fat the 
size of a walnut, put into the water in which cabbage is to be 
boiled, makes it eat far more soft and tasty than when it is 
boiled alone. It is not considered to look so delicate, or to 
be so refined upon an aristocratic table: but that is a very 
secondary consideration -with myself, or those who alone 
will honour my remarks by glancing over them. We are 
aiming at the cheap, the simple, and the satisfying; and a 
nice dish of cabbage thus softened and enriched, with a 
piece of bread, is a dinner which a thankful heart may well 
eat with a relish. 
In the island of Guernsey, there is a soup which is in very 
general use among the native families in the upper ranks, 
but is almost the universal food of the peasantry, and is pre¬ 
ferred by them, and servants also, to almost every other 
thing. Large well-hearted cabbages are boiled in water, 
with a piece of prepared suet about the size of a pullet’s egg 
when three large cabbages are used, and so in proportion. 
When they are thoroughly done, the whole mass is poured 
into a tureen, liquid and all, and eaten with bread. The 
cottagers cut pieces of bread into a basin for each person, 
and pour the soup upon it. The preparation used is made 
by rendering down equal quantities of nice mutton suet and 
lard together, and pouring it oil' into pots, in which state it 
will keep a long time. It is very delicate, and makes a most 
relishing and ^inexpensive dish with very little trouble. To 
a large family of children, so nourishing and cheap a dinner 
is truly valuable; and although in England we are little 
accustomed to use such simple ingredients, yet, let us not be 
prejudiced against such things as others find to be good, but 
try them, and endeavour to profit by our neighbours’ better 
management and experience. A wife and mother labouring 
with all her heart to keep her weekly expenses within 
bounds, will gladly seat her little ones round a tureen of 
Guernsey soup twice in the week at least; and those who 
feed only upon pulse, on a strong and holy principle, need 
not fear but that they -will have faces as fair as those who 
sit at the king’s table. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Various Queries ( Flora Montague). —There is no good white gera¬ 
nium for bedding except the one you named. Double Jacobea : Young 
plants from spring cuttings, as verbenas, will flower from June to October 
in any good soil; old plants of it will not do well. It is a good plan to 
turn young bedding plants into frames, without pots, as soon as they are 
hardened for the change. Fuchsia globosa is a fit subject for a neutral 
bed, not in an arrangement of colours. Fuchsias kept dry in winter arc 
potted in February or March, and then watered. We do not know a good 
White Calceolaria for beds. Do you happen to know it, and have you 
seen it in bloom ? If so, let us know your opinion of it. A pyramidal 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY. 
By the Authoress of “ My Flowers," Ac. 
