J. HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY. 367 



pasteur's mode of peepaeing vinegar. 



The researches of Pasteur, in regard to the microscopic 

 growths that affect the silk-worm, the vine, wine, etc., are well 

 known to many of our readers, but they may not be so famil- 

 iar with one of his many important practical applications of 

 science to the economical manufacture of an excellent qual- 

 ity of vinegar. His method has been practiced in an extens- 

 ive establishment in Orleans, France, for some time past, un- 

 der his direction, although it is but recently that the details 

 of the process have been made known. The apparatus em- 

 ployed consists of as many tubs, holding about thirty gallons 

 each, as can conveniently be accommodated in one room, kept 

 heated to a temperature of 70 to 80. These are filled with 

 a mixture of vinegar and wine, and the vinegar fungus is 

 planted, or sown, upon the surface. This is an application of 

 the fact, established by Pasteur, that the conversion of wine 

 into vinegar is caused by the development in the liqnid of 

 the so-called vinegar fungus, or Mycoderma aceti. This plant- 

 ing, or sowing, is accomplished by the use of thin w r ooden 

 spatulas, previously moistened to prevent adhesion, and then 

 laid on the liquid covered by the fungus, so as to take off a 

 thin layer, and afterward immersing this carefully in the un- 

 changed liquid, and stirring round so as to carry the fungus 

 to the bottom. This soon rises to the surface, which is com- 

 pletely covered by it in about eighteen hours. With the de- 

 velopment of the plant the manufacture begins, accompanied 

 by a considerably concomitant development of heat. In the 

 course of nine or ten days, and sometimes in eight, the entire 

 liquid is transformed into vinegar, the completion of the oper- 

 ation being shown by the tearing apart of the fungus layer, 

 and its falling to the bottom. The vinegar, which by this 

 time has become cold, is drawn off through an opening near 

 the bottom of the tub, ninety-five parts of vinegar being ob- 

 tainable from one hundred parts of the wine. When the vine- 

 gar is drawn off the tubs are to be well scrubbed out with 

 clean water, so as to be entirely free from all particles of fun- 

 gus ; they are then ready for a new mixture of wine and vine- 

 gar. The advantage of this method consists in its simplicity 

 and in the ease with which the work can be prosecuted ; the 

 first results being obtained in ten days, and the w T hole com- 



