fit to desire, who are to
deliver what they cut to the master or mistress, to be by them
distributed at their pleasure."

A seat should be placed for the carver sufficiently elevated to give him
a command of the table, as the act of rising to perform this duty is
considered ungraceful.

The carving-knife should be light and sharp; and it should be firmly
grasped; although in using it, strength is not as essential as skill,
particularly if the butcher has properly divided the bones of such
joints as the neck, loin, and breast of veal or of mutton.

The dish should not be far from the carver; for when it is too distant,
by occasioning the arms to be too much extended, it gives an awkward
appearance to the person, and renders the task more difficult.

In carving fish, care should be taken not to break the flakes, and this
is best avoided by the use of a fish trowel, which not being sharp,
divides it better than a steel knife. Examine this little drawing, and
you will see how a cod's head and shoulders should be carved. The head
and shoulders of a cod contain the richest and best part of this
excellent fish.

[Illustration: _Fig. 1._]

The first piece may be taken off in the direction of _a b_, by putting
in the trowel at the back or thick part of the fish, and the rest in
successive order. A small part of the sound should be given with each
slice, and will be found close to the back-bone, by raising the thin
flap _d_. It is known by being darker coloured and more transparent than
the other parts of the fish. Almost every part of a cod's head is
considered good; the palate, the tongue, the jelly, and firm parts, _e
e_, upon and immediately around the jaw and bones of the head, are
considered as delicate eating by many persons.

[Illustration: _Fig. 2._]

A boiled fowl has the legs bent inward (see _fig. 2_), and fastened to
the sides by a skewer, which is removed before the fowl is sent to
table. A roasted fowl should not have any part of the legs cut off, as
in the boiled fowl; but after they have been properly scraped and
washed, they are drawn together at the very extremity of the breast. A
boiled and a roasted fowl are each carved in the same manner. The wings
are taken off in the direction of _a_ to _b_ (_fig. 2_). Your knife must
divide the joint, but afterward you have only to take firm hold of the
pinion with your fork, draw the wings towards the legs, and you will
find that the muscles separate better