To ensure a variety of appetizing soups it will be found advisable to keep a supply of soup-stock to be used as the foundation for any required soup.

Stock is prepared by extracting the juices from meat by slow boiling, after which various ingredients may be added to give character to the soup.

To 4 pounds lean beef (inferior parts answer every purpose), add 4 quarts of water. Have the meat cut from the bone in solid pieces for after use; crack the bones, wash the meat if absolutely necessary (too much washing injures the flavor), and put all together in the soup kettle without salt. Let the water come to the boiling point, skim, set back and let simmer gently five hours. Keep closely covered and skim frequently. Rapid boiling hardens the fiber of the meat and the savory flavor escapes with the steam. Add a little pepper, strain into a stone jar and when cool remove every particle of fat. Never use tin or iron utensils for putting away soup-stock, but strain through a sieve, gauze wire strainer or a napkin laid in a colander, into an earthenware vessel or jar. A porcelain-lined kettle, with a closely fittting lid is preferable for all soups. More than one variety of meat adds to the flavor of the stock-broth. Mutton and beef, or a knuckle of veal may be advantageously combined. Veal alone makes the colorless stock used for the more elaborate soups, to which calves' feet, or even tough fowl will be found to give an added consistency, without heightening the color.

The soup will be clear as possible, and, seasonings and vegetables having been omitted, the fat can be clarified for use by melting over the fire until all water is extracted, when it may be poured into a jar kept for the purpose. Fat prepared in this manner will be better for almost all cooking purposes than lard.

This stock will keep many days in cold weather, and from it can be made many varieties of soup. It will be found serviceable, also in the preparation of gravies and stews. If desirable to have the stock richer let the simmering process continue more than five hours.

To prepare soup from this stock, cut off a slice of the clear jelly in the stock jar, add water, heat, season and serve as a plain broth. Additional ingredients, such as rice, barley, tapioca of vegetables, may be cooked before being added. Too much boiling injures the flavor of the stock.

The "true inwardness" of soup-stock, however, will never be reached until the housekeeper has learned to utilize the accumulated fragments of the refrigerator for this purpose. Trimmings from the Sunday roast, bones from the same, steak, cold chops, bits of fowls, the thin ends of raw porter-house steak, anything and everything may be utilized, providing that the been, daintily put away and are free from the suspicion of musti-ness.

Weigh the pieces and add quart for pound of cold water - always cold, because cold draws out the juices of the meat, and has seals them up. Simmer four hours, skimming frequently. Strain into the soup jar. When cold remove fat and use as directed for first soup stock.

An excellent soup for a small family can be made from the bones and trimmings of steaks and roasts that are often cut and thrown away by the butcher. If soup is accidentally over-salted this may be remedied by a teaspoonful of vinegar and the same amount of sugar.