sure and decisive in their result; their potency must be deadly indeed, to produce instant and visible effects. As Mr. Accum, in his book on Culinary Poisons, observes, the dealer who practises these dangerous sophistications, adds the crime of murder to that of fraud, and deliberately scatters the seeds of disease and death among those who contribute to his emolument!

As I have mentioned the bottling of malt liquors, it seems necessary to say a few words for the proper management of this part of cellaring.

As a necessary preparation for executing this business properly, you must take care that the bottles are clean and well dried; for wet bottles will cause the liquor to turn mouldy, or mothery, and consequently the liquor will be spoiled. Your corks should also be new and sound; for if the air should get into the bottles, through any defect of the corks, the liquor will grow flat, and never rise. You should also as scrupulously reject corks that have been used; for if they be in the least degree musty, they will communicate their ill flavour to the liquor. Also observe,

in the bottling of malt liquors, that the top and middle of the hogshead are the strongest, and will sooner rise in the bottles than the bottom. And also recollect, that when you begin to bottle a vessel of any liquor, not to leave off till the whole is bottled, otherwise it will have different. tastes; and let the bottles stand till the next day before you cork them, by which the beer will be brought to a proper degree of flatness, and the corks prevented from flying, or the bottles bursting. Let the bottles be corked as close as possible, and recollect to leave the space of about an inch between the bottom of the cork and the liquor, or the bottles will burst. To make your liquor brisk when opened, add to each bottle a lump of loaf sugar, or a tea-spoonful of moist sugar, with two or three cloves. Pack the bottles in the binns on their sides in dry sand, as it prevents the access of air more effectually than saw-dust will do. But if you want part of the liquor to ripen quickly, place the bottles in a warm situation for a few days.

20. Cordials and Compounds.

In the following computations for the composition of cordials and compounds, the various proportions are those which are generally used for producing the usual merchantable article. But if the operator wishes to make his goods of an inferior or a higher quality, so as to suit his customers, and adapt them to the peculiar nature of his business, by increasing or diminishing the quantities and qualities of the ingredients, he, of course, will increase or diminish the flavour, strength, and quality of their goods.

In the preparation of cordials and compounds, the following syrup, or capillaire, may be used advantageously instead of sugar.

With four pounds of lump sugar and five pints of water, mix well or beat up the whites of two eggs; then boil the whole gently for the space of half an hour, skimming it carefully; strain through a flannel bag, and while hot, add half an ounce of essence of lemon, or a pint of

orange-flower water, mixing the whole well together; put the mixture into a clean earthen pan, and when cold, pour it into a stone bottle for use. Larger or smaller quantities are made by using the same proportions. This preparation is also very convenient for sweetening grog, punch, negus, &c.

Though the following receipts are formed on given proportions of ingredients, yet it must be obvious that any quantity, even on the small scale of a quart or a pint, may be readily made, by reducing or increasing the ingredients proportionally; and they may be very readily varied to suit the taste of your customers, either stronger or sweeter, or less so, as is most agreeable to them. For the convenience of the retail dealer, the ingredients may be mixed in a few minutes, and if carefully prepared, will be fit for immediate

use.

It is also proper to premise, that all oils used in the preparation of compounds and cordials, should be well killed before you introduce them into the mixture. To accomplish this purpose, proceed as follows:

Having dried a little of the lump sugar before the fire, pound the sugar and the oil well together in a mortar; then add your spirits of wine by degrees, and continue stirring the whole well together one way (that is, either to the right or to the left), until you observe the oil completely killed. But you should recollect, that before the spirits of wine are capable to kill the oil, they must be strong enough to fire gunpowder. In order to ascertain whether they possess this quality, put a little gunpowder into a table-spoon, and wetting it with some of the spirits of wine, set the mixture on fire by means of a bit of paper; if the spirits of wine are of a proper strength, the powder will explode; but if not of their full strength, it will remain wet when the fire has expended itself. By keeping some of the different oils prepared by you, you may flavour according to the respective palates of your customers.

The process of fining cordials is the same as that of fining spirits and wines. If they do not run bright in the first trial, return them into the filtering bag again; repeat the operation as often as necessary,

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