There is no dish, perhaps, that comes to table which gives such general satisfaction as well prepared soup; let the appetite be vigorous or refined, an excellent soup will always prove grateful to it; and as this is beyond contradiction, it should be the province of the cook to be always in a position to produce it at a short notice.

There should always be plenty of dried herbs in the store closet; these may be purchased chiefly in quantities at the beginning of the autumn of any market-gardener,' and kept at hand; Franklin tells us that " everything should have its place, and there should be a place for everything." The multiplicity of articles required by a cook should induce her to bear this maxim in mind. Herbs may be very well kept, as indeed, they are usually, in paper bags; they should be all labelled. When time is an important object the necessity for this is obvious - they are always to be had when wanted, and the bag should be immediately replaced after using.

There should be a saucepan, or kettle of iron well tinned, kept for soup only; we think the engraved specimen the best: remember, the lid should Jit tightly; there are several kinds, but the one we have given will be found to answer all purposes, being especially useful as a " stock-pot." The inexperienced reader will understand by the term "stock-pot," that soups being of two kinds, brown and white, have different foundations, that of brown being always beef, and that of white, veal; there are many ingredients in each, and it is the various articles which, when put together, are called " stock," hence the soup utensil is technically termed the stock-pot.

1. Stock For Brown Soup

Firstly, let the kettle in which the soup is to be prepared, be perfectly clean and dry; the hands of the cook should be so likewise then take about a pound of beef, which should be lean, and may be either shin, leg, ox-cheek, or from the clod, indeed from any of the inferior parts, always remembering it must be lean; cut it in slices, and place at the bottom of the saucepan with a tolerable sized piece of salt butter, and a little water to prevent burning, but let the quantity be small, the less the better: add a piece of lean bacon cut in slices also; if the quantity of stock be large, about a fourth the quantity of the bacon to the beef will suffice, but when the quantity of beef is small, the proportion of bacon should be nearly-equal; cover the lid down close, and extract the gravy, permit it nearly all to re-enter the meat, and then pour sufficient boiling water - it must be boiling, for the quantity of soup required, adding two or three onions if small, sweet herbs cut small, with a few cloves, and et it stew slowly for four or five hours, propor-tionably to the quantity of meat; the greater the quantity of meat the longer the time required to stew.

When the meat is quite tender this will form the foundation for all the best brown soups; this, if well done, makes a delicious gravy soup; if it should require browning, refer to the receipt for colouring soups and gravies.

Stock, in its composition, is not confined to the above receipt; any meats or bones, stewable, will be useful in the stock-pot; pieces of beef, from any part, from which gravy can be extracted, bones, shin-bones, brisket-bones, tops of ribs, ox-cheek, pieces of mutton, bacon, ham, bones of either legs, heads of fowls, geese, or turkeys, veal, knuckle, or other parts, game, hare, pheasant, partridges, if they be old and fit for no other purpose; indeed, anything which is fit and proper to be eaten in the form of animal food, and in any degree resolvable into a jelly, will assist in making stock.

To this medley of ingredients, which it will be found on trial will produce the best soup that can be made, add carrots cut in thin slices, herbs, onions, pepper, and salt; when it has stewed slowly for a short time, pour in the boiling water in proportion to the quantity of meat and soup required; then stew it until it is of a rich consistency, take it from the fire, let it cool, remove the pot. If required the following day, care should be taken that the deposit or sediment is removed, as also the fat previous to warming; if kept long the pans must be changed; there is as much danger in red glazed earthenware as in metal pans; the latter should never be employed to keep gravies in, if possible. Wherever greater richness is required, it may be obtained by the addition of the jelly of cow-heel, or a lump of butter and flour.

Remember, soup is richer and better for being made the previous day, or even two or three days previously to its being required, if it be warmed each day; to be really good it must be well stewed.