emperature is most favorable to the fermentation. The Muscatel raisins are preferred, and these are sold at a much cheaper rate than when Mr. Aikin made his experiments. The matter, whatever it be, which, in fermentation, converts a solution of sugar into vinous liquor, exists in raisins in sufficient quantity to change into wine a greater quantity of sugar than the fruit itself contains; also it is advantageous, both as to price and quantity, to add to the raisins from one-tenth to one-third of their weight of sugar; and it is advisable to use good loaf-sugar. The raisins being picked, they are to be chopped finely with a mincing-knife, the stalks being put aside for a use to be mentioned hereafter. After several trials, Mr. Aikin found the best proportion to be three pounds of raisins and one pound of sugar to an ale gallon of water. The must is sometimes prepared by mashing, sometimes by maceration. For mashing, the chopped raisins being put into an open tub, or earthenware pan, pour on them hot water, in the proportion of about one quart to four pounds of fruit; the water should not be heated higher than 120° of Fahrenheit's thermometer. The water and fruit being mixed after standing a quarter of an hour, the whole should be stirred by hand, taking care to break down all the lumps. The fruit should be placed on a sieve, over a tub, there to drain for a short time; the husks to be then lightly pressed by hand, and returned to the mash-tub. The second mash is made in the same manner as the first. The water for the third mash is put on at 150° or 160°, when the liquor is acidulous, having the flavor of the raisins, and but little sweetness. If an astringent wine is wanted, the last mash is prepared by pouring boiling water on the stalks in a separate tub, and in a quarter of an hour the liquor is poured on the husks, and in another quarter of an hour the liquor is put on the sieve, and the husks are well squeezed by hand, While the last mash is preparing, the liquor of the first three mashes is put into the fermenting tun, and the sugar is dissolved in it. Then add as much of the last mash as is requisite-viz., one ale gallon of must to three pounds of fruit and one pound of sugar, the temperature of the must being about 70°. The fermentation will begin from twelve to thirty-six hours, according as it is treated. If the fermentation is languid, keep on the cover of the tun, stir the scum daily into the liquor; if too rapid, take off the cover and remove the scum as it rises. The liquor is now vinous but sweet; and, after carefully skimming it, put it into glass carboys, containing six or seven gallons, or into stoneware barrels of the same size. Insert in the bungs glass tubes, and on the second day pour into them about one inch of quicksilver, to exclude the air. The bungs are covered with a cement of wax and rosin. The wine ought to remain an entire summer in the barrel or carboy, in order that the fermentation may proceed so far as almost entirely to decompose the sugar; and as the usual times of wine-making are April and October, the wine made in the former month should be bottled abour the end of September, or a week or two later, according to circumstances.

RICE DRESSED IN THE ITALIAN MANNER.-To prepare this dish, eight ounces of rice must be first washed very carefully. Then four ounces of bacon are ta

be cut in pieces, and also a Milan cabbage, which must be likewise chopped up. The cabbage and bacon are to be cooked together at a gentle heat and seasoned with some parsley chopped up, garlic, pepper, salt and a little fennel. After the cabbage has been cooking for three-quarters of an hour, add the rice, and allow the whole to cook for a quarter of an hour. It is to be served at table with Parmesan cheese.

ANOTHER WAY of Preparing tHE SAME.-Wash eight ounces of rice and cook them for a quarter of an hour with a spoonful of stock and four ounces of butter. Now prepare a mixture of the yolks of four eggs, to which two ounces of Parmesan cheese and a little coarse pepper have been added, mix them all with the rice, and serve in the manner directed for potage.

RICE DRESSED IN THE TURKISH MANNER.-Take eight ounces of rice, and wash them many times in water, steep them in some hot water, drain them, and put into a saucepan. Then swell the rice with some good gravy soup, taking care not to add too much. Divide the rice into two portions, taking one-half and beating it with some ground saffron, four pepper-corns in powder, a piece of butter, some beef marrow, and a little jelly prepared from a fowl. Mix them all together, and serve up in a soup-tureen or deep dish with the gravy soup by itself.

TO REMOVE GREASE FROM SILK.-Lay the silk on a table, on a clean white cloth. Cover the damage thickly with powdered French chalk. On this lay a sheet of blotting-paper, and on the top a hot iron. If the grease does not disappear at once, repeat the process.

TO REMOVE PORT Wine Stains.—If a glass of port wine is spilt on a dress or table-cloth, immediately dash all over it a glass of sherry. Rub vigorously with dry soft cloths. No stains will be left.

TO CLEAN LADIES' KID BOOTS.-Dip a rag in almond oil, and remove all the mud from the boot, a piece at a time, drying as you go, and never leaving the leather moist. Polish with clean rag and more oil. If you dislike the dulness this process leaves, when quite dry polish with the palm of the hand. Kid is thus both cleaned and preserved.

CLEANING COPPER.-When it is desired to obtain a clean, bright surface upon copper, it is customary, in all countries, to use nitric acid. In this way the desired surface is obtained with little trouble, and at once. There is, however, the objection that a considerable quantity of nitrous fumes are given off, and these red vapors are not only extremely disagreeable, but are very prejudicial to health. The production of these vapors may be avoided by adding a little solution of bichromate of potash to the dilute nitric acid. Experiment proves that this answers perfectly. The copper surface is brought out clean and bright, without any disengagement of vapors. On sanitary grounds, this method of operating deserves to become extensively known. In the manufacture of copperware, a great deal of this cleaning is done, and the frequent exposure to the fumes cannot but be very injurious to the workmen. In Naples there is a street

of coppersmiths, and in pleasant weather they carry on their work in the street. itself, which is filled with workpeople plying their trade. The cleaning, especially, is done out-of-doors, and it is not uncommon to see quantities of red fumes floating upon the air, and poisoning it with hyponitrous acid, which irritates the throat and chest extremely, and, when inhaled frequently, cannot but lead to serious injury.

BRINE FOR PICKLING MEAT OR FISH.-By reason of no defined system being generally known for ascertaining the intensity of brine, meat is occasionally spoilt, as it will become tainted in parts if the brine is not sufficiently strong to meet the temperature of the weather; the other extreme, of salting meat in very strong brine, is equally objectionable, as it renders the exterior of the meat disagreeably salt and hard, while the interior is next to fresh, the flesh remaining soft and unset. Much perplexity, too, is often felt by the housewife to decide whether the meat is sufficiently salted, as the time required for salting will depend on the intensity of the brine. This, too, may be saved by observing the simple yet scientific method which we shall prescribe: In temperate weather brine should be composed of about twenty-four parts of salt to seventy-six parts of water, its specific gravity being to that of water as 1180 to 1000. Thus, by taking a bottle that will hold ten ounces of water, salt your brine until the same bottle holds eleven ounces and three-quarters. In very hot weather the brine should be stronger-twenty-eight parts of salt to seventy-two parts of water.

A FRENCH PReparation for Removing Grease or Oil STAINS.—Take some dry white soap, scraped into a fine powder, and mix it up in a mortar with a sufficient quantity of alcohol, until dissolved. Then add the yolk of an egg, and mix them together. When sufficiently mixed, put in a small quantity of spirits of turpentine, and make the whole up into the consistence of thick paste by the addition of a sufficient quantity of fuller's earth. When required for use, this preparation is to be rubbed over the grease or oil stains, which should be previously moistened with warm water. When the spots are got rid of, remove the composition with a sponge, or soft brush. This composition may be used for every kind of stain, except those caused by ink or rust.

A LIQUID PREPARATION FOR THE SAME PURPOSE.-To prepare this cleaning liquid, mix together in a phial, furnished with a stopper, equal quantities of alcohol and rectified sulphuric ether, with eight times the quantity of rectified oil of turpentine. A little essential oil of lemon may also be added, to remove the smell of the turpentine. That kind of alcohol and sulphuric ether which is prepared from methylated spirit, which is very cheap, will answer as well as that made from pure spirit, which is much dearer. It is necessary that the stopper of the bottle should fit as accurately as possible, owing to the volatile nature of the liquids employed. When it is wished to remove an oil or grease spot, the liquid should be applied to the spot, and rubbed over it with a piece of soft sponge. When we wish to get rid of an old stain, it is advisable to warm it previously to applying the liquid.

PICKLED LEMONS.-Take small lemons with thick rinds, and rub them with a piece of flannel; then slit them half down in four quarters, but not througn to the pulp; fill the slit with salt pressed hard in; set them upright in a pan for four or five days, until the salt melts; turn them thrice a day in their own liquor until tender. Make enough pickle to cover them of good vinegar, the brine of the lemons, Jamaica pepper, and ginger; boil and skim it, and when cold, put it to the lemons with two ounces of mustard seed, and two cloves of garlic to every six lemons. When the lemons are used, the pickle will be useful in fish

and other sauces.

More easily made than green pickles, and more generally approved are hot pickles. The following is a good receipt for

YELLOW PICKLE.-To each gallon of malt vinegar take a quarter of a pound of brown mustard seed, two ounces of long pepper, two ounces of black pepper, two ounces of garlic, one ounce of turmeric, quarter of an ounce of mace, half a pound of salt, and a few roots of horse-radish. Let the salt and spice be well dried, and put them into the vinegar cold. Gather your vegetables on a day day, strew over them a little salt, and let them stand two or three days, then put them on a hair sieve, either in the sun or by the fire to dry. Put them in a large jar with the vinegar, and let it stand by the fire for ten days; it must not, however, be allowed to become any hotter than new milk.

The above pickle is much relished by those who like very hot things, but for ordinary palates the receipt given below is more confidently recommended. INDIAN PICKLE.-To each gallon of malt vinegar (cold) add half a pound of mustard, six ounces of turmeric, a handful of salt, and a little grated ginger; boil the vinegar and spices together, and let the mixture cool. Boil or scald the vegetables with vinegar-taking care to have among them a little garlic and some onions; put them in your jar, and pour on the pickle. Afterwards put in the jar a bag containing a quarter of a pound of ginger, one ounce of long pepper, one ounce of black pepper, one ounce of cloves, and half an ounce of Gayenne.

For general household use this "Indian pickle" is one of the best that can be made. It is well to keep it in two large jars, each of which should hold sufficient for the year's consumption; from one of these the pickle can be taken for eating, while the other is being filled and is getting ready for use. A variety of vegetables may be put in this pickle-French beans, mushrooms, cucumbers, cauliflowers, apples, cabbages, celery, radishes, radish-pods, etc. French beans should be taken when small, and put in whole; cauliflowers should be cut into separate branches; and cucumbers and apples should be cut in slices, or quartered if not too large-if cucumbers are not to be had, vegetable marrows may be used instead of them. Red cabbage should not be used in hot pickles, or it will spoil their color (as will also walnuts); small white cabbages should be quartered, salted for three days, squeezed, and set in the sun to dry; celery should be cut into three-inch lengths, and the green tops should be cut

from radishes. The pickle may be made when the earliest vegetables are in season, and afterwards, as other kinds come to perfection. The harder kinds may be boiled in vinegar, and the softer scalded with boiling vinegar, and, when cool, put into the jar. Soft vegetables, such as cucumbers, will not bear boiling, which would make them go to a pulpy mass. When new vegetables are added to the jar, the whole should be well stirred up with a wooden spoon, as the spices and more solid parts of the pickle are apt to settle to the bottom. A metal spoon should never be used either for stirring pickle-jars, or for taking out their contents. The necessity for keeping the jars thoroughly closed is not so imperative with hot, as with green pickles, as they are not apt to go mouldy. It should be remembered that all vegetables for pickle-making should be gathered when dry.

INDIAN CHUTNEE.-Take a pint of vinegar, add to it half a pound of brown sugar, and boil them till they become a thin syrup. Then add one pound of tamarinds, simmer gently for a few minutes, and, when cool, strain through a cullender. Then add half a pound of sour apples, peeled and cored, and boil till quite soft; when cool, add a quarter of a pound of raisins (stoned) and two ounces of garlic, both well pounded; and afterwards, two ounces of salt, two ounces of powdered ginger, two ounces of mustard, and one ounce of cayenne. Mix well together, and put into covered jars, which must be allowed to stand by the fire for twelve hours. The longer this is kept the better it will become.

TOMATO SAUCE.-When ripe take off the green stalks from the tomatoes. Wipe them clean, and place them in a slow oven where, they must remain till quite soft. Then work them through a sieve and take out the seeds; and add, to every two pounds of tomatoes, one pint of good white wine vinegar, one dozen chillies, quarter of a pound of garlic, quarter of a pound of shallots shred very thin, one ounce of ground white pepper, and a good handful of salt. Boil all together, till the garlic and shallots are soft; then strain it, and skim off the froth, and if too thick add a little more vinegar. When cold, bottle it in wide-mouthed bottles. This sauce may be kept several years, and will improve with age. In addition to the above ingredients some persons put half an ounce of ground ginger.

"HOUSEHOLD GUIDE" SAUCE.-By the following receipt a sauce may be made as good for most ordinary purposes as the more expensive sauces, and especially useful where economy is an object. In one quart of good vinegar boil six shallots chopped fine, and twelve cloves; when cold add quarter of an ounce of cayenne pepper, half an ounce of sugar-candy, half a gill of soy, half a gill of mushroom catchup, and half a gill of the vinegar from pickled walnuts. This must be shaken daily for a month, when it will be fit for use, or it may be closely corked up and kept for an unlimited time.

TO REMOVE WHITE STAINS ON CRAPE PRODUCED BY WATER OR RAIN DROPS. Spread the crape on a table, and fix it firmly down by pins or weights, placing beneath it a piece of black silk. Over the white stains wash with a camel-hair