In warm weather when stock is to be kept for five or six days, it is better not to use vegetables for seasoning at the time it is made, because vegetable juices ferment quickly and sour the stock. It is safer to add the seasoning each clay at the time the stock is cleared.

To season and clear two quarts of stock, allow

One white of egg and the shell.

Two blades of celery.

One bay-leaf.

One-half leaf of sage.

Three whole cloves.

Six pepper-corns.

One inch piece of cinnamon.

One small onion.

One-half large slice of carrot.

One sprig of parsley.

One small sprig of thyme.

One small sprig of summer savory.

One small sprig of sweet marjoram. One-half tea-spoonful of sugar One and a half tea-spoonful of salt.

The herbs should be tied together. Place all this seasoning, the beaten white of egg and the crushed shell, as in clearing soup, together in the soup; heat very slowly, and when the first bubbling appears, move the kettle to the back of the range, where it will keep at the boiling point, without really boiling. The kettle should be closely covered to keep the soup from being reduced. Let it stand in this heat for half an hour, and then strain. In this case the egg is left in longer than when it is simply desired to clear the soup, but the latter will only be the clearer for the extra length of time.

When seasoning the soup, as first made, add the different vegetables, spices, etc., as soon as the meat is put on the range, unless otherwise directed by the following recipe. A good authority on soup-making gives this proportion of seasoning to be used : Allowing one quart of water to every pound of meat and bone, add for every quart allowed,

One even tea-spoonful of salt. Two pepper corns, or One quarter of a tea-spoonful of ground pepper.

Two cloves.

Two allspice berries.

One tea-spoonful of mixed herbs, One quarter of a tea-spoonful of celery salt, or One sprig of celery root.

One sprig of parsley.

One table-spoonful of each vegetable at hand.

The vegetables generally used are onion, carrots, turnips and celery, and they should be cut into very small pieces that they may be accurately measured. Strain the soup when the meat has boiled to rags, and set it away where it will cool quickly ; then remove the cake of fat that will form on the top. This fat excludes the air and helps to keep the stock ; so if the soup is not to be used at once, do not remove the fat until needed. No grease or oil should ever appear upon soup.

If " a hasty plate of soup "is to be made and there is not time to wait for the stock to cool, place whatever may be needed in a shallow pan and set it in another pan of cold water - ice-water, if possible. This will soon harden the fat. If there is not even time for this, take off all the oil possible with a spoon and wipe the rest off with soft tissue paper.

Still another method consists in straining the soup several times through a fine napkin that has been rinsed in cold water; the grease will adhere to the cloth.

With this, seasoned stock for a basis, an endless variety of soups may be made. This stock will be sufficiently clear for any ordinary soup, but for clear amber soup the egg must be used for clarifying. When soup is made from stock and rice, sago, tapioca, macaroni or anything of a similar nature, except vermicelli, the stock should not be wasted by boiling the added substance in it long enough to cook it; instead, cook this matter separately and, having drained it thoroughly, add it to the soup. Vermicelli cooks in five minutes, and is, therefore, an exception ; it should be crushed in the hands as it is dropped into the kettle.