“ Hare soup, clear., with pieces of meat in it. “Hare a la Fran^aise : head and shoulders cut off, split up the breast and laid flat on the dish, legs and all well pique. “ Pudding flavoured with orange-flower. “Beurre noir (black butter), i.e. butter warmed with vinegar and fried parsley in it to eat with boiled fish or cutlets. “ Veal cutlets en papillotes — done with savoury crumbs (J cheese or forcemeat), and a piece of ham or tongue on each cutlet within the paper envelope. “ Fried eggs, several in a dish, with slices of tongue between ; rich brown sauce. 109 April RECIPE CLUB. SALE OP PRODUCE “ A wee drop of rum in apple-tart. In curry or mullagatawny soup always boil two or three apples.” April 23. The New Recipe Club. — The same friend who wrote me the suggestion about a circulating library of works on cookery and other domestic subjects writes again — “ If you ever carry out the idea of the circulating library of cookery books, you might like also to try a plan I read of the other day. It was of a club in America the members of which met at stated times, when each one had to produce a recipe, original or otherwise, that was absolutely new to the others. I think recipes that were recognized by any other member had to pay a fine. You might have some such united plan at the fortnightly teas when the circulating books are exchanged, and make an interesting collection of original recipes.” Sale of Country Produce. — “ I have often wondered,” she goes on to say, “whether anything has ever been done regarding our long-ago idea of different farms combin- ing to send their produce for sale to the nearest town. I dare say you have quite forgotten it. Here is the skeleton of the idea, in case you ever see your way to get something of the kind tried. In districts where there are many farms within reasonable distance of each other, the suggestion was that they should combine, and in order to save the expense and trouble of each farm sending its own (comparatively) small quantity of butter, poultry, fruit and vegetables separately into the nearest market town twice a week or so, they should arrange that a cart with the collected produce should go, say three times a week, to the railway or into the town ; and it would depend on the number joining in the scheme how often each farmer ADVANTAGES OF CO-OPERATION April had to spare his cart — probably once a fortnight instead of twice a week. The advantages would be — “ {a) Saving of time, as one cart quite full would do the work, instead of three or four carts only partly filled. “ {h) Better price for goods, as they would go in larger, regular quantities, and could therefore probably undertake supplying hotels or steamers, as their average quantity would be greater. “(f) In case of railways, I suppose it is the same at the Cape as in England, i. e. that if a truck-load can be sent at a time, the cost of carriage is much lower in proportion, and things go straight through and therefore quicker. “ Of course if it were possible for the combined farmers to have a stall, barrow, or shop of their own in the town they would greatly increase their profits, as they would sell direct to consumers. “ I understand that two things are generally wanting in England (and I dare say it is the same in the Colonies), among those who would wish to get a good sale for the products of small farms or gardens.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

“ Hare soup, clear., with pieces of meat in it. “"Hare a la Française :head and shoulders cut off, split up the breast and laid flat on the dish, legs and all well pique. “ Pudding flavoured with orange-flower. “Beurre noir (black butter), i.e. butter warmed with vinegar and fried parsley in it to eat with boiled fish or cutlets. “ Veal cutlets en papillotes — done with savoury crumbs (J cheese or forcemeat), and a piece of ham or tongue on each cutlet within the paper envelope. “ Fried eggs, several in a dish, with slices of tongue between ; rich brown sauce. April RECIPE CLUB. SALE OP PRODUCE “ A wee drop of rum in apple-tart. In curry or mullagatawny soup always boil two or three apples.” April 23. The New Recipe Club. — The same friend who wrote me the suggestion about a circulating library of works on cookery and other domestic subjects writes again — “ If you ever carry out the idea of the circulating library of cookery books, you might like also to try a plan I read of the other day. It was of a club in America the members of which met at stated times, when each one had to produce a recipe, original or otherwise, that was absolutely new to the others. I think recipes that were recognized by any other member had to pay a fine. You might have some such united plan at the fortnightly teas when the circulating books are exchanged, and make an interesting collection of original recipes.” Sale of Country Produce. — “ I have often wondered,” she goes on to say, “whether anything has ever been done regarding our long-ago idea of different farms combining to send their produce for sale to the nearest town. I dare say you have quite forgotten it. Here is the skeleton of the idea, in case you ever see your way to get something of the kind tried. In districts where there are many farms within reasonable distance of each other, the suggestion was that they should combine, and in order to save the expense and trouble of each farm sending its own (comparatively) small quantity of butter, poultry, fruit and vegetables separately into the nearest market town twice a week or so, they should arrange that a cart with the collected produce should go, say three times a week, to the railway or into the town ; and it would depend on the number joining in the scheme how often each farmer ADVANTAGES OF CO-OPERATION April had to spare his cart — probably once a fortnight instead of twice a week. The advantages would be — “ {a) Saving of time, as one cart quite full would do the work, instead of three or four carts only partly filled. “ {h) Better price for goods, as they would go in larger, regular quantities, and could therefore probably undertake supplying hotels or steamers, as their average quantity would be greater. “(f) In case of railways, I suppose it is the same at the Cape as in England, i. e. that if a truck-load can be sent at a time, the cost of carriage is much lower in proportion, and things go straight through and therefore quicker. “ Of course if it were possible for the combined farmers to have a stall, barrow, or shop of their own in the town they would greatly increase their profits, as they would sell direct to consumers. “ I understand that two things are generally wanting in England (and I dare say it is the same in the Colonies), among those who would wish to get a good sale for the products of small farms or gardens.

Hilda's diary of a Cape housekeeper