MISCELLANEOUS. 67W 



weeks you will have the best of vinegar. Shaking or moving around does not 

 iiajure it at all; it never dies; keep covered." 



Remarks — Here you see an open keg or jar is called for, knowing that air 

 must come in contact with a large surface of the fluid to make quickly; but a 

 keg or bbl. only % full, or a little more, gives a larger surface to the air, of 

 course, laying on its side, and the bung only covered with open cloth or mos- 

 quito netting, keeps out the flies and dirt and allows the daily shaking, which 

 also hastens its oxygenation, souring, by giving a new surface to the air at each 

 shaking. It is also more cleanly, because less likely to have anything get into 

 it. But remember where sponge yeast and corn are used, when the fluid has 

 worked clear, in about 3 weeks, it should be poured off, the dregs and com 

 strained out, or otherwise got rid of, and the fluid returned and shaken daily 

 till the vinegar is as sharp as desired. Another lady signing herself "'K. A. M." 

 —Mama, I suppose it means — gives the following plan of making: 



Corn Vinegar.— "Cut off of the cob 1 pt. of corn, then take 1 pt. of 

 brown sugar or molasses to 1 gal. of rain water; add the corn, put into a jar, 

 cover with a cloth, set in the sun, and in 3 weeks you will have good vinegar. 

 I have made it 5 years, and know it is good. Have cider vinegar, but like the 

 corn vinegar best." 



Cider Vinegar. — Pure cider vinegar is acknovvledged to be the best that 

 can be made. To make it quickly, a writer gives us the following plan. He 

 says: "Expose a large surface of the cider to the action of the atmosphere; it 

 will turn rapidly to vinegar; for instance, if the cider is put into buckets or tubs 

 in the sun, and a mosquito netting is laid over the top of it so that the flies will 

 not touch it, and shield it also from rain by boards, in 3 or 4 weeks you will 

 have strong vinegar. The larger the surface exposed to the air, the sooner the 

 fermentation will take place and vinegar be formed. Place a bucket of cider 

 behind a cooking stove constantly in use, and you will soon have vinegar. 

 Warmth and air are all that are needful." 



Remarks — This would be impracticable except in small quantities, and in 

 warm summer weather. If this writer had said warmth, air and time are all 

 that are needful to make vinegar out of cider, he would have covered the 

 whole ground, for 'tis rather a slow process. Not much use to try to do any- 

 thing more with cider the season it is made only, only to leave the bungs out of 

 the bbl. to allow its first fermentation to proceed, or it is best to leave the bung 

 out all the time, if the cider is to be made into vinegar. And those who desire 

 to make it in quantities for sale, will do best, no doubt, to follow the French 

 plan below described by the Maim Farmer, as follows: 



" Old cider or vinegar barrels, if sound, are preferred to new ones, but if 

 new they are washed with scalding water; boiling vinegar is next poured in and 

 the bung closed and the barrel allowed to stand until its sides become thoi ■ 

 oughly saturated with the vinegar. This requires from 1 to 3 days, according.' 

 lo the material of which the barrel is made. After this preparation it is filled 

 about one-third with strong and pure cider vinegar and 2 gallons of cider. 

 Every eighth day thereafter, 2 gallons of cider are added xmtil the barrel j.i 



