In ordinary circumstances beef alone, with some vegetables, will make a good broth or stock, in the proportions of two and a half pints of cold clear water to every pound of bones and meat; the bones and meat should be of about equal weight. It makes the soup more delicate to add chicken or veal. Good soup can be made also by using the trimmings of fresh meat, bits of cold cooked beef, or the bones of any meat or fowl. In the choice of vegetables, onions (first fried or saute and a clove stuck in), parsley and carrots are used, as these will keep. Turnips, parsley and celery should be employed more sparingly. The soup bunch at market is generally a very good distribution of vegetables. Nothing is more simple than the process of making stock or broth. Remember not to let it boil for the first half hour; then it should simmer slowly and steadily for four or five hours. Skim frequently, as the scum, if allowed to remain, gives an unpleasant flavor to the soup. Use salt sparingly, putting in a little at first, and seasoning at the last moment. Many a good soup is spoiled by an injudicious use of seasoning. Some add a few drops of lemon juice to a broth. If wine or catsup is added, it should only be at the last moment. Always strain the soup; small scraps of meat or sediment look slovenly in a soup. About fifteen minutes before dinner each day, you can add what vegetables you like, to vary the soup.