successive courses, until they are required.

A BILL OF FARE at large dinner parties, where there are several courses, should be provided, neatly inscribed upon small tablets, and distributed about the table, that the diners may know what there is to come.

NAPKINS should be folded neatly. The French method, which is very easy, of folding the napkin like a fan, placing it in a glass, and spreading out the upper part, is very pleasing. But the English method of folding it like a slipper, and placing the bread inside of it, is convenient as well as neat.

BREAD should be cut the last thing after the table is laid. If cut too early it becomes dry. A tray should be provided, in which there should be a further supply of bread, new, stale, and brown.

CARVING-KNIVES should be "put in edge" before the dinner commences, for nothing irritates a good carver, or perplexes a bad one, more than a knife which refuses to perform its office; and there is nothing more annoying to the company than to see the carving-knife dancing to and fro over the steel while the dinner is getting cold, and their appetites are being exhausted by delay.

JOINTS THAT REQUIRE CARVING should be set upon dishes sufficiently large. The space of the table may be economized by setting upon small dishes those things that do not require carving.

THE CARVER SHOULD HAVE PLENTY OF ROOM, however closely the diners are compelled to sit together.

THE VEGETABLES, if the table is very crowded, may be placed upon the sideboard, and handed round by the waiters.

GEESE, TURKEYS, POULTRY, SUCKING-PIGS, etc., may be CARVED BEFORE BEING SENT TO TABLE; especially in those cases where the whole or the principal part of such dishes is likely to be consumed.

THE CARVER should supply the

plates, and the waiter hand them round, instead of putting the question to each guest as to which part he prefers, and then striving to serve him with it, to the prejudice of others present."

LADIES should be assisted before gentlemen.

NOTHING detracts from the dignity of a host so much as inefficient carying; and there are few things that make a guest appear so small as being unable to offer to assist the hostess in manipulating a joint.

THERE are some people who should never attempt to carve; for instance, those who are weak in their wrists, or those who are short-sighted. In the one case, failure is inevitable; in the other, nothing looks worse than to see a man peering in a purblind manner into a dish.

CARVING requires a large amount of constant practice, in order to arrive at proficiency; and the earlier the practice is commenced, the easier will the tyro find it to be. Boys on leaving school, though of course not expected to take the head of the table, should always be requested to help some dish-beginning with some easy dish, such as a ham or tongue, and proceeding by degrees to the dismemberment of a fowl or turkey.

There are two departments in presiding at table-namely, carving and helping. The former is the result of skilful manipulation; the other of careful discrimination. The proficient in the first-named art will be able to carefully anatomize any joint that is placed before him; whilst the adept in the second will be able to select the tit-bits in a proper proportion of each concomitant of the dish for the gratification of his guest.

With regard to carving, we may state, in a few words, that there are only two ways namely, a right and a wrong way. No treatise ever written on the subject could prove that there were more ways than one of cutting a round of beef or dissecting a partridge.

Our object in this work is to make everything as plain as possible. The great drawback in the majority of manuals on carving is the elaboration and intricacy of the diagrams illustrating the subject, which naturally tend to mystify and mislead the wouldbe pupil. Our drawings are, therefore, quite simple. For this reason, we have left out the dishes usually placed in such drawings, and have confined our "dotted lines" to within the barest limits necessary for the elucidation of the text.

We must merely promise, that in all cases, the drawings of joints, etc., are placed before the reader in exactly the same position as if he were about to commence to carve them.

SOUPS. The first course at all dinners is invariably the soup, and from that circumstance, as well as from the fact of its being the easiest dish to preside over, we place it first in our remarks and directions concerning carving. It should be ladled into the plate in about two dips. It is better to have the trouble of lading twice or thrice rather than run the risk of spilling the soup on the cloth, on account of the ladle being too full.

With regard to Julienne soups, or any kind of soups wherein there are vegetables, pieces of meat, or forcemeat balls, care should be taken to give the composition a stir round before serving, in order that each guest may have a just proportion of liquid and solid,

SALMON.-Serve a slice of the thick with a smaller slice of the thin part. Keep the flakes of the thick part as firm as possible.

COD'S HEAD AND SHOULDERS, The thick part of the back is best. It should be carved in unbroken slices, and each solid slice should be accompanied by a bit of the sound, from under the back-bone, or from the cheek, jaws, tongue, etc., of the head. MACKEREL should be served in pieces cut through the side when they are large. If small, they may be dí

cut of the joint. In serving each slice, do not forget to add to each plate some of the marrowy and solid fats, which may be found respectively at 3 and 4.

THE ROUND OF BEEF.-This may be carved in a similar way to the above, care being taken to cut the slices as thin as possible. Indeed, in carving all joints, it would be well to recollect the saying of a certain noble old bon vivant, "You can always tell a man's breeding by his cutting beef thin and mutton thick."

SADDLE OF MUTTON. - The saddle of mutton is always a popular joint, Carve in the following way:-Slice across from 1 to 2, serving moderately

thick slices, with a portion of fat from 3. Finish one side always before commencing the other.

HAUNCH OF MUTTON, OR VENISON. -In cutting a haunch of mutton, first make an incision at 2, 4, say about three inches long. Then cut thin

slices from 3 to the cross-line 2, 4, 5. The gravy will be found in copious supply in the cavity at 4. In carving this joint, always cut the slices towards yourself.

ROAST LEG OF MUTTON.- In carving a roast leg of mutton, always have the shank to the left hand, as depicted in the drawing. Place the fork in at about 7, to hold it steady, and cut right down to the bone in the direction 1, 2; the knife will thus pass

the "pope's eye," of which some people are particularly fond. The most juicy slices are to be obtained from

the line 1, 2, upwards towards 5, though some people prefer the shank or knuckle. Fat may be found on the ridges 5, 5, and should be cut in the direction 5, 6.

Should you desire to cut out what is called the "cramp-bone," take hold of the shank-bone with your left hand, then cut down to the thigh-bone at the point 4, and after passing the knife under the cramp-bone in the direction 4, 3, it can easily be extricated.

BOILED LEG OF MUTTON. - A boiled leg of mutton may be carved in the like manner to the roast; but in helping, care should be taken to give a due proportion of caper sauce with each slice.

SHOULDER OF MUTTON. - A shoulder of mutton, though perhaps one of the most repulsive joints ever brought to table, is, nevertheless, greatly admired by some persons, who think the flavor of it superior to that of the leg, and it requires some skill in carving. When first cut it should be

3 7

4

in the direction of 1, 2, cutting right down to the bone, causing the gravy

to run into the dish. The prime fat may be found on the outer edge, and may be sliced off in the direction 5, 6. If there is a large company, after the bottom part in the line 1, 2, is finished, there are some very delicate slices on each side of the ridge of the blade-bone in the lines 3, 4. The 7, 8 marks the direction of the edge of the blade bone, and cannot be cut across.

Some persons prefer the under side of the shoulder, as being more full of gravy.

LOIN OF MUTTON. This joint requires but little skill in carving, but it should always be properly jointed by the butcher before being brought to table: there is nothing to do but to separate the meat into chops, and help one of each all round.

A FORE-QUARTER OF LAMB, The carving a fore-quarter of lamb must be commenced by passing the knife under in the direction of 3, 7, 4, 5, in order to

separate the shoulder from the breast and ribs. When this is accomplished, the juice of a lemon, together with a little salt, should be squeezed upon the part from which it was taken.

The gristly part may be separated from the ribs at the line 6, 7. The ribs are generally the most esteemed, and can easily be separated one from the other by cutting in the direction of the line 1, 2. If any one prefers the gristly part, a piece may be cut off in line 8, 9.

Should the fore-quarter run very large, the shoulder must be placed in another dish, and carved in the same manner as a shoulder of mutton.

LEG OF LAMB is carved in the same manner as a leg of mutton.

LOIN OF LAMB is carved in the same

manner as loin of mutton, except that in lamb the fat is more delicate, conse quently a larger proportion may be given to each guest. A leg of pork,

LEG OF PORK. whether roasted or boiled, should be carved across the middle, exactly like the ordinary way of cutting a ham. If it is roasted, be sure to take care to give a due proportion of stuffing and crackling to each plate.

ROAST PIG.A pig is very rarely sent to table whole: the cook gen erally cuts it up, takes off the head, splits the body down the back, and garnishes the dish with the chaps and ears, ete.

Before any one is helped, the legs and shoulders should be separated from the carcass. The choice part of a pig is about the neck. The next best parts may be cut from the ribs.

LOIN OF PORK must be carved like a loin of mutton.

HAND OF PORK may be treated in a similar manner to a shoulder of mutton.

CALF'S HEAD. Commence by cutting right along the cheek in the line 9, 2, and several handsome slices may be taken from this part. At the end of the jaw-bone may be found the

part of the tongue is a slice close to the root.

FILLET OF VEAL.-A fillet of veal is cut in the same manner as a round of beef. Recollect that some people prefer the brown outside, and do not forget to serve a portion of stuffing to each plate.

LOIN OF VEAL is usually carved in the same way as a loin of mutton: it should be borne in mind, however, that the choice portions are the fat and kidney underneath.

A GIGOT OF VEAL is generally carved after the manner of a leg of mutton.

A SHOULDER OF VEAL is served like a shoulder of mutton.

KNUCKLE OF VEAL.-A knuckle of veal is certainly not one of the easiest joints to carve, though, at first glance, it appears to be so. It should be cut

with a sort of semicircular sweep from 1 to 2. The bones should be cut from 3 to 4. The fat, which is to be found at 4, is greatly esteemed.

ROAST FOWL. Perhaps the most difficult thing to carve is a roast fowl; indeed, he who can accomplish this properly, can soon make himself a proficient in every other branch of the

art.

Y

The cut which we give here shows the fowl on its side, with a leg, a wing, and a neck-bone taken off. It is often

more convenient to take the bird on a plate, and as you detach the joints in the line 1, 2, 4, place them in the dish.

The next thing is to cut off the neck-bones. This is accomplished by inserting the knife at 7, running it under the broad part of the bone in the line 7, 2, then lifting it, and breaking off the end of the shortest part of the bone. Then divide the breast from back by cutting through the ribs on each side from the neck to the tail. Turn the back upwards, fix the fork under the rump, and lay the edge of the knife in the line 2, 5, 3, press it down, raise the tail, and you will find it will easily divide in the line 2, 5, 3.

Lastly, put the lower part of the back upwards with the head toward you, and cut off the side-bones by forcing the knife through in the line 5, 6.

X, Y, and Z represent respectively a neck-bone, wing, and leg, in the forms they ought to be when skilfully carved.

BOILED FOWL. -Boiled fowl is carved in a similar manner to the above. The prime parts are usually considered to be the wings and breast. In a boiled fowl the legs are more tender than those of the roasted fowl.

THE GOOSE.—The goose should be

placed with the neck end before you. Cut three long gashes in lines 1, 1, 1, to 2, 2, 2, quite to the bone; detach these slices from the bone, and proceed to take off the leg by turning the bird on one side, putting the fork through the small end of the leg-bone, and pressing it close to the body. By this means, when the knife has entered at 4, the joint can easily be raised. Pass the knife under the leg in the direction of 4, 5. If the leg still hangs at 5, turn it back with the fork, and it will easily separate.