Lay in the bottom of your roaster a carrot, cut into dice, a sliced onion, a small young turnip, also sliced, a stalk of celery, minced, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, and three table-spoonfuls of minced salt pork. Upon this prepared bed put the chicken, trussed as for roasting, but not stuffed. Over all pour two cupfuls of boiling water; cover so tightly that little or no steam can escape, and cook twenty-five minutes to the pound. If the fowl be decidedly tough make this half an hour to each pound, or more. Open the roaster but once ; when you judge the chicken to be half done, baste it well; try the breast with a larding-needle or a skewer to see how it is getting on and leave it again. Fifteen minutes before taking it up rub over with butter and dredge with flour to brown it. When done, dish and keep hot; rub the gravy through a colander, thicken with a little browned flour, boil up, and serve in a boat.

This, also, is a capital use to which you may put an aged fowl.