In thickening anything witli flour, corn-flour, arrowroot, etc., the chief point to be considered is, how to avoid getting the gravy, or whatever is thickened, lumpy. Suppose we are going to thicken, say, gravy. Proceed as follows. First have the gravy in a saucepan boiling gently. Next take a cup, and put in the cup as nearly as you can guess the amount of flour, or corn-flour, etc., that you want; mix it up with a little cold water, and make it smooth with a spoon. Then add it, one spoonful at a time, to the gravy, and stir the gravy quickly as you put it in. Let the gravy go on boiling gently, and you will see when it is thick enough. Don't waste the flour, etc.; it is very easy to mix a little fresh if you have not enough.

If you were to throw the flour or corn-flour in raw, you would get it all lumpy.

If by chance you have got gravy or soup lumpy, pour it through a sieve and rub the lumps through.