a few drops of lemon-juice or Tarragon vinegar, salt and pepper.
Method.—Boil the chicken until half cooked in stock, or, if this is not at hand, in water flavoured with vegetables. Put the macaroni into salted boiling water and cook rapidly for 15 or 20 minutes, until it is perfectly tender but not broken, then drain well, and cut into short lengths. Heat the sauces in a stewpan, and when the chicken is sufficiently cooked, cut it into pieces convenient for serving, and put them into the sauce. Add the macaroni, salt, pepper, lemon-juice or vinegar to taste, and simmer very gently for ¾ of an hour. Arrange the macaroni to form a bed in the centre of a hot dish, place the chicken on the top of it, strain the sauce over, and serve.
Time.—From 1 to 1¼ hours. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. to 4s. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
The Diseases of Fowls and their Cure.—Fowls are liable to various diseases; the most dangerous of these is, perhaps, roup, a highly contagious disease. It commences with a cold, and is characterized by a thick discharge from the nostrils and eyes, which, unless the bird is at once isolated, will infect the other birds, especially through the medium of the drinking water. The vessels which contain it should be thoroughly disinfected. The nostrils and eyes of the isolated bird should be well washed out with warm water, or warm milk and water, and disinfectants, as Condy's Fluid, Labarrague's solution of chlorinated soda, one part to two of water, and Gamjees' Roup Pills, may he administered with advantage. When recovering, tonics, as Parish's Food and cod liver oil, will be serviceable. Fresh air and good ventilation in the fowl houses are the best preventatives of this dangerous disease.
1202.—CHICKEN, WITH RICE AND TOMATOES. (Fr.—Poulet au riz à la Milanaise.)
Ingredients.—1 chicken, larding bacon, 2 onions, 2 carrots, 1 turnip, all thickly sliced, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 10 peppercorns, stock, ¼ of a pint of tomato purée, 3 ozs. of grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Method.—Truss the chicken, lard the breast in close rows, and wrap it in greased paper. Put the vegetables, herbs and peppercorns into a stewpan, add sufficient stock to nearly cover them, and place the chicken on the top. Cover closely, cook gently for about 1½ hours, adding more stock to replace that which boils away. Wash and blanch the rice, cook it in good stock until tender and dry, then stir in the tomato purée and cheese, and season to taste. Put the chicken in a hot oven for a few minutes, to crisp the bacon, then serve with the rice either as a border or formed into timbales.
Time.—About 1¾ hours. Average Cost, 3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
Obstruction of the Crop.—This ailment is commonly caused by weakness or greediness. To cure it, the crop should be kneaded to remove its contents; if no good effect is produced, warm water should be poured down the throat, and another attempt made. The crop should if possible be emptied through the mouth, and a dessertspoonful of castor oil administered. If the crop cannot be emptied by kneading, it will be necessary to cut it, taking care that the incision avoids the large blood vessels, and is sufficiently large to admit a finger or teaspoon for the removal of the obstruction. A fine needle and horsehair or fine silk should be used to stitch up the crop, care being taken to stitch together first the inner skin and then the outer skin of the crop. Sometimes a diamond-shaped piece is cut from the crop before sewing it up, to contract the crop if it is permanently loose.
