ble it, and give each bird a gill-measureful
morning and evening. No entire grain should be given to fowls
during the time they are fattening; indeed, the secret of
success lies in supplying them with the most nutritious food
without stint, and in such a form that their digestive mills
shall find no difficulty in grinding it.

[Illustration: ROAST FOWL.]

ROAST FOWLS.

952. INGREDIENTS.--A pair of fowls; a little flour.

_Mode_.--Fowls to be tender should be killed a couple of days before
they are dressed; when the feathers come out easily, then let them be
picked and cooked. In drawing them, be careful not to break the
gall-bag, as, wherever it touches, it would impart a very bitter taste;
the liver and gizzard should also be preserved. Truss them in the
following manner:--After having carefully picked them, cut off the head,
and skewer the skin of the neck down over the back. Cut off the claws;
dip the legs in boiling water, and scrape them; turn the pinions under,
run a skewer through them and the middle of the legs, which should be
passed through the body to the pinion and leg on the other side, one
skewer securing the limbs on both sides. The liver and gizzard should be
placed in the wings, the liver on one side and the gizzard on the other.
Tie the legs together by passing a trussing-needle, threaded with twine,
through the backbone, and secure it on the other side. If trussed like a
capon, the legs are placed more apart. When firmly trussed, singe them
all over; put them down to a bright clear fire, paper the breasts with a
sheet of buttered paper, and keep the fowls well basted. Roast them for
3/4 hour, more or less, according to the size, and 10 minutes before
serving, remove the paper, dredge the fowls with a little fine flour,
put a piece of butter into the basting-ladle, and as it melts, baste the
fowls with it; when nicely frothed and of a rich colour, serve with good
brown gravy, a little of which should be poured over the fowls, and a
tureen of well-made bread sauce, No. 371. Mushroom, oyster, or egg sauce
are very suitable accompaniments to roast fowl.--Chicken is roasted in
the same manner.

_Time_.--A very large fowl, quite 1 hour, medium-sized one 3/4 hour,
chicken 1/2 hour, or rather longer.

_Average cost_, in full season, 5s. a pair; when scarce, 7s. 6d. the
pair.

_Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons.

_Seasonable_ all the year, but scarce in early spring.

THE DISEA