98 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



stantially the same phraseology. Mr. Imbrie, by far the 

 most specific of any of the writers I have been able to 

 discover, says unequivocally that success depends upon 

 the proper strength of the pickle. " If it is too strong, 

 the gut pulls out crooked, lumpy, and cracked ; if it is 

 too weak, the gut has not enough consistency to draw 

 out." 



Now what is " strong vinegar," or " a strong mixture 

 of vinegar and water " ? Vinegar is dilute acetic acid ; 

 and the quantity of acetic acid the vinegar contains de- 

 pends upon the amount of sugar the parent liquid con- 

 tained which is converted into acetic acid by fermenta- 

 tion. This sugar has the formula C 6 H ]2 O 6 . The reac- 

 tion is : (sugar) C 6 H 12 O 6 , on fermentation is converted 

 into 2C 2 H 6 O, (alcohol)-}- 2 CO 2 , (carbonic acid), which 

 passes off as a gas ; the alcohol is then oxidized into 

 acetic acid, C 3 H 4 O 2 , by further fermentation, a molecule 

 of water, H^O, splitting off. " Strong vinegar " is there- 

 fore a very indefinite term. Ordinary vinegar contains 

 anywhere from two to six or seven per cent, of acetic 

 acid, more bite being sometimes given to the weaker 

 sorts by a dash of sulphuric acid. 



Mr. Imbrie informs me that he tasted the Murcia 

 pickle when ready for use, and that it was then quite as 

 strong as any table vinegar he had known to be used in 

 this country. 



The upshot of all this is that it would seem advisable 

 for the experimenter who proposes to try the pickling 

 method to get the best vinegar he can, which will proba- 

 bly be cider vinegar in this country ; to try a number of 

 experiments side by side for example, pure vinegar, same 

 plus one-quarter water, same plus one-half water, and 

 same plus three-quarters water. Also, to vary the times 



