48 VINEGAR, CIDER, AND FRUIT-WINES. 



with vapors of alcohol and acetic acid that no further loss will 

 take place until the renewing of the air in the workroom appears 

 necessary. In which manner the manufacturer is to work in 

 order to carry on the business most advantageously depends^ on 

 the conditions of trade. If large orders have to be filled, he will 

 endeavor to increase the capacity of the generators to the utmost 

 by maintaining the optimum of temperature and a vigorous 

 change of air in them, and in this case must submit to the in- 

 creased losses inseparably connected with this high performance. 

 If, on the other hand, he works for stock, he will not force the 

 capacity of the generators to the utmost, but in order to work as 

 cheaply as possible direct his attention to reduce the losses to a 

 minimum. 



Yields of Acetic Acid obtained in the Practice. 



By keeping for some time an accurate account of the actual 

 yields and comparing them with those theoretically obtainable, 

 the former will be found to fall more or less short of the latter, 

 and the difference will be the smaller the better the method of 

 fabrication in use. 



In a vinegar factory occur many unavoidable losses, the 

 sources of which have been indicated iu the preceding explana- 

 tions ; alcohol and acetic acid evaporate, and besides a portion of 

 them is entirely destroyed by too much oxidation. Now a Joss 

 by evaporation, etc., of ten per cent, of the quantity of alcohol 

 originally used must no doubt be considered a large one, but from 

 numerous observations it may be asserted that even with the 

 greatest care in working the loss in vinegar factories is not less 

 than from 15 to 20 per cent., and may even be as much as 30 

 per cent. 



These enormous losses of substance conclusively prove the de- 

 fectiveness of the processes in general use and the urgent neces- 

 sity for reformation. The experiments made for this purpose, 

 and which have been especially directed towards a remodelling of 

 the apparatus used, cannot be considered entirely satisfactory, 

 though they were partially instituted by practical manufacturers, 

 who, however, lacked the necessary theoretical education. 



