44 THE ELEMENTS OF PLANT FOOD 



Cider Vinegar. The sugar in the juice of the apple 

 ferments to alcohol, forming hard cider, and if the fer- 

 mentation is allowed to continue, the alcohol is in 

 turn changed to acetic acid and cider vinegar is pro- 

 duced. 



Vinegar may be made in the same way from maple 

 sirup or from any other liquid that contains sugar. 



Methyl Alcohol (CH 3 OH). Methyl alcohol is also 

 called wood alcohol, because it is produced by the 

 destructive distillation of wood. It is one of the 

 substances produced when charcoal is made. Methyl 

 alcohol resembles ethyl alcohol in its appearance. 

 It may be used to dissolve gums, for fuel, and for 

 many other purposes for which ethyl alcohol is used. 

 It is a deadly poison. 



Denatured Alcohol. Ethyl alcohol may be made 

 unfit for use in liquors by mixing with it about ten 

 per cent of wood alcohol and pyridine or about one per 

 cent of benzine. This makes a very nauseating mixture 

 called denatured alcohol, which can be used in the arts 

 instead of pure alcohol. The government tax has 

 been taken from denatured alcohol. 



PHOSPHORUS (P) 



Phosphorus does not occur free in nature. In its 

 manufactured state it is seen in the form of sticks 

 somewhat larger than a lead pencil and two to four 

 inches in length. It is kept in bottles filled with water, 

 for if allowed to remain in the air it unites so readily 

 with O that it is soon consumed. It should never be 

 handled with dry fingers, as it makes a very deep and 

 dangerous burn. It may be removed from the water 

 with iron tweezers. As soon as the air commences to 



