Cookery for every household

Note. — The fishing of salmon is regulated by Act of Parliament. The following table gives the general close time, but there are local exceptions : England and Wales. — 2nd November to 1st February for rods, and 1st September to 1st February for netting, with exceptions. Scotland. — 1st November to 10th February for rods ; 27th August to 10th February for netting, with exceptions. Ireland. — The time varies considerably. Dutch and Canadian salmon are obtainable almost all the year round. THE LARDER AND CARE OF FOOD A house of any considerable size usually contains a larder where perishable food can be kept, and the importance of having this cannot be over-estimated. The ideal arrangement is to have it in two parts, so that dairy produce may be kept separate from butcher meat, &c. The Position. — Whenever possible a larder should have a northerly or easterly aspect and comparative absence of bright sunshine. It is important, too, that it should be conveniently near the kitchen, although not near enough to be influenced by the heat of the range nor hot-water boiler. It should never be placed near a lavatory ; neither should the window overlook that part of the premises where the gulleys to receive the contents of the waste-pipes are placed. Ventilation and Temperature. — There should be one or more windows with which to ventilate the larder. If there are two, one should be glazed to let in light and the other should be fitted with wire gauze or perforated zinc, fine enough to exclude all flies. If there is only one window it should be kept open constantly, and a piece of muslin should be stretched tightly across it to keep out flies and dust. There should be a thorough ventilation, and sometimes it is advisable to have one of the panels of the door fitted with perforated zinc in order to secure the necessary draught. Or sometimes perforated bricks are let into the walls, which help considerably to ventilate the larder. The temperature of the larder should not exceed 50° F. in summer, nor fall below 38° F. in winter. Of course it is not always possible to regulate the temperature at will, but still with a little contrivance one can often manage to arrive approximately near these figures. Arrangements and Fittings. — The ceiling should be lime- or white-washed. The walls too, if they are not tiled, should be lime- or white-washed or painted with some sanitary paint which can easily be washed. It is very important that no holes or crevices should be left in the walls through which mice and beetles may enter. When these appear, they should at once be filled up with cement or putty. The shelves are best made of stone, marble, or slate, although wooden ones are very often fitted for the sake of economy. In any case it is well to have a slab of slate or marble on which special things, such as butter and milk, can be placed to keep them cool. For the convenience of hanging meat, poultry, &c., strong hooks should be securely fixed in the ceiling or hung from rods of iron running from side to side of the larder. A few smaller hooks should also be fixed to the shelves or walls. All fittings should be as simple in construction as possible, so that they can easily be washed and cleaned.