In buying poultry, choose a male. You can tell a bird's age by the size of its feet and leg joints. If the legs appear covered with thick scales, the bird is of the grandfather order. The feet should be flexible and the eyes brilliant. When a bird is plucked the flesh should be very elastic. Thin necks and violet thighs in a fowl are signs of age and toughness. The same violet tinge appears in turkeys. Geese and ducks' ages can be told by their beaks, as, when young, they can be easily broken. For hares and rabbits, look at the claws and ears ; if the claws are sharp and the ear tears easily, the animal is young. In purchasing fish, freshness is the necessary desideratum. The chief points to notice are fulness of the eye, pinkness of the gills, and brightness of the skin. In plaice and flounders, the spots on the skin are bright orange when the fish is fresh, but are dull if stale. Fish, if in good condition, will keep firm under pressure of the finger, and the smell, though fishy, is not unpleasant; but this cannot be depended on, as the use of ice may cause deception on that point. In purchasing cod, the freshness may be known by the bluish tinge of the flesh, and the slightly iridescent hue of the part cut. If the flesh be yellow, do not buy it. Flat fish should be selected by their thickness. Plaice is very often sold to the uninitiated for brill or turbot; but the former may be known by the red spots on the back, whilst the others have none. Lobsters and crabs should be chosen by their weight in proportion to their size, and the width of their tails. An old lobster, well crusted with lime, will be heavy, but there will not be much meat in it. 2 18 THE housewife's EEFEREE USEFUL ADJUNCTS TO THE KITCHEN A Patent Carbon Safe is a great desideratum in every household ; but still more so where there is difficulty in procuring ice, as this safe requires neither ice, prepara- tion, nor attention. Carbon, which is a disinfectant and deodoriser, is used in these safes, so that all air is effec- tually filtered and rendered innocuous before reaching the contents ; thus preserving them for days, even in the hottest weather, in their natural state, and free from all signs of taint or decay. Meat and even chops will keep good a foitnight. Everything is kept sweet in these safes ; and they are especially necessary to those who live in India or the tropics. The Safe Boiling Stove Mat is a sine qua non in kitchens. Milk, soup, jellies, and porridge will not boil over or burn when this is used. It is very compact and has an outside rim of metal with a little ring attached to it to hang it up when not in use. It is quite flat, and where the saucepan touches it is made of asbestos, which arrests the direct heat of the flame, thus rendering the boiling slow but sure. An Asparagus Saucepan which I can thoroughly recom- mend is one much deeper than usual, and deep enough to hold any bundle of asparagus in an upright position. The interior is fitted with a movable wire holder, which is divided into four compartments so as to keep the stalks from falling out. The water should reach half-way up the bundle and be rapidly kept boiling. By this means the tops are steamed to a nicety, and the branches retain their original shape.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

In buying poultry, choose a male. You can tell a bird's age by the size of its feet and leg joints. If the legs appear covered with thick scales, the bird is of the grandfather order. The feet should be flexible and the eyes brilliant. When a bird is plucked the flesh should be very elastic. Thin necks and violet thighs in a fowl are signs of age and toughness. The same violet tinge appears in turkeys. Geese and ducks' ages can be told by their beaks, as, when young, they can be easily broken. For hares and rabbits, look at the claws and ears ; if the claws are sharp and the ear tears easily, the animal is young. In purchasing fish, freshness is the necessary desideratum. The chief points to notice are fulness of the eye, pinkness of the gills, and brightness of the skin. In plaice and flounders, the spots on the skin are bright orange when the fish is fresh, but are dull if stale. Fish, if in good condition, will keep firm under pressure of the finger, and the smell, though fishy, is not unpleasant; but this cannot be depended on, as the use of ice may cause deception on that point. In purchasing cod, the freshness may be known by the bluish tinge of the flesh, and the slightly iridescent hue of the part cut. If the flesh be yellow, do not buy it. Flat fish should be selected by their thickness. Plaice is very often sold to the uninitiated for brill or turbot; but the former may be known by the red spots on the back, whilst the others have none. Lobsters and crabs should be chosen by their weight in proportion to their size, and the width of their tails. An old lobster, well crusted with lime, will be heavy, but there will not be much meat in it. THE housewife's REFEREE A Patent Carbon Safe is a great desideratum in every household ; but still more so where there is difficulty in procuring ice, as this safe requires neither ice, preparation, nor attention. Carbon, which is a disinfectant and deodoriser, is used in these safes, so that all air is effectually filtered and rendered innocuous before reaching the contents ; thus preserving them for days, even in the hottest weather, in their natural state, and free from all signs of taint or decay. Meat and even chops will keep good a fortnight. Everything is kept sweet in these safes ; and they are especially necessary to those who live in India or the tropics. The Safe Boiling Stove Mat is a sine qua non in kitchens. Milk, soup, jellies, and porridge will not boil over or burn when this is used. It is very compact and has an outside rim of metal with a little ring attached to it to hang it up when not in use. It is quite flat, and where the saucepan touches it is made of asbestos, which arrests the direct heat of the flame, thus rendering the boiling slow but sure. An Asparagus Saucepan which I can thoroughly recommend is one much deeper than usual, and deep enough to hold any bundle of asparagus in an upright position. The interior is fitted with a movable wire holder, which is divided into four compartments so as to keep the stalks from falling out. The water should reach half-way up the bundle and be rapidly kept boiling. By this means the tops are steamed to a nicety, and the branches retain their original shape.

The housewife's referee