The Wheat-ear.

This delicate bird is fresh, if it has a

limber foot and fat rump; otherwise it is stale.

The Woodcock, if stale, will be dry-footed; and if bad, its hose wili be snotty, and the throat moorish and muddy; but if new and fat, it will be limber-footed, thick and hard.

A Capon is known by a short and pale comb, a thick rump and belly, and a fat vein on the side of the breast: when young, the spurs will be short and blunt, and the legs smooth; and if fresh, the vent will be close and hard: but if stale, loose, which last remark may be applied to cocks and hens, · `

A Cock, when young, has short and dubbed spurs; and if fresh, his vent will be hard and close. But you should be particular in observing the spurs, as the market people fre quently scrape them, to give them the appearance of young cocks.

A Hen is old, if her legs and comb be rough; but young, if they are smooth. You may also judge of her freshness by the vent, in the same manner as the cock.

A Snipe is chosen in the same manner as the Woodcock'; but the snipe, when fresh, is fat in the side Under the wing^ tad feels thick in the vent.

Teal and Widgeon are supple-footed when fresh; hut are dry-footed when stale. If fat, they are thick and hard on the belly; and lean, if thin and soft.

Hare and Leveret. - If the claws are blunt and rugged, the ears dry and tough, and the haunch thick, the hare is old; but H* the claws are smooth and sharp, the cars easily tear, and the cleft in the lip is not much spread, it is young. If fresh and newly killed, the body will be stiff, and the flesh pale. But the^ keep a good while by proper care; and are best when rather beginning to turn, if the inside is preserved from being musty; To know a real leveret, you should look for a knob or small bone near the foot on its fore leg; if there is none, it is a hare. Rabbit. If it be old, it has long rough claws, and grev hairs intermixed with its wool; but when young, the wool and claws are smooth. If stale, it is supple, and the flesh bluish, with a kind of slime among it; but if fresh, it will he stiff, and the flesh white and dry.

Partridges.—They arc in season in autumn.

If young, the bill is of a dark colour, and the legs yellowish; if fresh, the vent will be firm this part will look greenish, if stale."

:

Pheasants. The cock-bird is accounted best, except when the hen is with egg. If young, he has short, blunt, or round ■purs; but if old, thev are long and sharp.

TO CHOOSE BUTTER.

Put a knife into the butter if salt, and smell it when drawn oat; if there is any thing rancid or unpleasant, it is bad. Being made at different times, the layers in casks will vary greatly; and you will not easily come at the goodness, but by aahooping the cask, and trying it between the staves. Fresh butter ought to smell like a nosegay, and be of an equal colour ail through; if sour in smell, it has not been sufficiently washed; if veiny and open, it is probably mixed with staler or an okferior sort.

TO CHOOSE CHEESE.

Observe the coat of the cheese before you purchase it; for if it be old, with a rough and rugged coat, or dry at top, you may expect to find little norms and mites in it. if it be moist," spongy, or full of holes, there is reason to suspect it is maggoty. Whenever you perceive any perished places on the outside, be sure to probe them to the bottom; for, though the hole in the coat may be but small, the perished part within may be considerable.

TO CHOOSE EGGS, ANp PRESERVE THEM.

Put the large end of the egg to your tongue; if rt feels warm it is new. In new-laid eggs, there is a small envision' of the skin from the shell, which is filled with air, and is perceptible to the eye at the end. In looking through thcm against the sun or a candle, if fresh, eggs will be pretty clear. If they shake they are not fresh.

Lent and Easter they fresh by dipping them

Eggs may be bought cheapest when the hens first begin to lay in the spring before they sit; in become dear. They may be preserved in boiling water and instantly taking them out, or by oiling the shell; either of which ways is to prevent the air passing through it; or kept on shelves with small holes to receive one in each, ami be turned every other day; or close-packed in a keg, and covered with strong lime-water.

OBSERVATIONS ON KEEPING AND DRESSING

MEAT.

ON KEEPING MEAT.

IN every sort of provisions, the best of the kind goes farthest, it cuts out with most advantage, and affords most nourishment. Round of beef, fillet of veal, and leg of mut-' ton, are joints that bear a higher price; but as they have more solid meat, they deserve the preference. It is worth notice, however, that those joints which are inferior, may. be dressed as palatably; and being cheaper, they ought to be bought in turn; for, when they are weighed with the prime pieces, it makes the price of these come lower.

In loins of meat, the long pipe that runs by the bone should be taken out, as it is apt to taint; as also the kernels of beef. Rumps and aitch-bones of beef are often bruised by the blows the drovers give the beasts, and the part that has been struck always taints; therefore do not purchase these joints if bruised.

The butcher should take out the kernels in the neck pieces, where the shoulder-clod is taken off, two from each round of beef; one in the middle, which is called the pope's eye; the other from the flap: there is also one in the thick flank, in the middle of the fat. If these are not taken out, especially in the summer, salt will be of no use for keeping the meat sweet. There is another kernel between the rump and the edgebone.

As the butchers seldom attend to this matter, the cook should take out the kernels; and then rub the salt well into such beef as is for boiling, and slightly sprinkle that which is for roasting.

The flesh of cattle that are killed When not perfectly cleared of food soon spoils. They should fast twenty-four hours in winter, and double that time in summer, before being killed.

The shank-bones of mutton should be saved; and, after soaking and bruising, may be added to give richness to gra

vies or soups. They are also particularly nourishing to dick persons.

When sirloins of beef, or loins of veal or mutton, come in, part of the suet may be cut off for puddings, or to clarify.

Meat and vegetables that the frost have touched, should be soaked in cold water two or three hours before used, or more if they are much iced. Putting them into hot water, or to the fire till thawed, makes it impossible for any heat to dress them properly afterwards.

In warm weather, meat should be examined well when it comes in; and if flies have touched it, the part must be cut off, and then well washed. In the height of summer, it is a very safe way to let meat that is to be salted lie an hour in rery cold water, rubbing well any part likely to have been fly-blown; then wipe it quite dry, and have salt ready, and nib it thoroughly in every part, throwing a handful over it besides. Turn it every day, and rub the pickle in, which will nake it ready for the table in three or four days. If to be very much corned, wrap it in a well-floured cloth, after rubbing it with salt. This last method will corn fresh beef fit for the table the day it comes in, but it must be put info the pot *ben the water boils.

If the weather permit, meat eats much better for hanging two or three days before it is salted.

When beef or pork is salted for immediate eating, the piece should not weigh more than five or six pounds. It must be thoroughly salted. just before it is put into the pot, and folded "p close in a coarse cloth well floured. By being immersed in boiling water, and boiling as long as any other salt beef of the same size, it will be as salt as if done four or five days.

Great attention is requisite in salting meat: and in the country, where large quantities are cured, this is of particular importance. Beef and pork should be well sprinkled, and a few hours afterwards hung to drain, before it is rubbed with the salt; which method, by cleansing the meat from the blood, serves to keep it from tasting strong. It should be turned every day; and if wanted soon, should be rubbed as often. salting tub or lead may be used, and a cover to fit close. Those who use a good deal of salt meat will find it answer "ell to boil up the pickle, skim it, and when cold, pour it over

A

meat that has been sprinkled and drained. Salt is so mien increased in price, from the heavy duties, as to require great **re in using it; and the brine ought not to be thrown away, as is the practice of some, after once using

The water in which meat has been boiled makes an excellent soup for the poor, by adding to it vegetables, oatmeal, or peas.

Roasted beef bones, or shank-bones of ham, make fine peas-soup; and should be boiled with the peas the day before eaten, that the fat may be taken off.

In some families great loss is sustained by the spoiling of meat. The best way to keep what is to be eaten unsalted is, as before directed, to examine it well, wipe it every day, and put some pieces of charcoal over it. If meat is brought from a distance in warm weather, the butcher should I* ordered to eover it close, and bring it early in the morning; but even then, if it is kept on the road while he serves the customers who live nearest to hhn, it will be very likely to be fly-blown. This happens often in the country.

Wash all meat before you dress it if for boiling, the colour will be better for soaking; but if for roasting, dry it.

ON BOILING,

Meat

The boiler and utensils should be kept delicately clean. Put the meat into cold water, and flour it well first. boiled quick will be hard; but care must be taken that in boiling slow it does not stop, or the meat will be underdone. If the steam is kept in, the water will not lessen much; therefore when you wish it to boil away, take off the cover of the soup-pot.

Particular care must be taken that the pot is well skimmed the moment it boils, otherwise the foulness will be dispersed over the meat. The more soups or broth are skimmed, the better and cleaner they will be.

Vegetables should not be dressed with the meat, except carrots or parsneps with boiled beef.

As to the length of time required for boiling, the size of the joint must direct; as also the regular though slow progress it makes; for if the cook, when told to hinder the cop`· per from bailing quick, lets it stop from boiling np at all, the