If you buy fresh meat for a soup stock, the shank is the most economical. Have it cut into several pieces, and the bone cracked, at the butcher's. Wash and put on to boil in two gallons of cold water, and one spoonful of salt (the salt helps the scum to rise). When it comes to a boil, take off the scum and set the kettle where the soup will just simmer for ten hours. Then strain into a nice tin, which is kept for this purpose, or a stone pot; set where it will be cold, and in the morning skim off all the fat, then turn gently into the soup-kettle, being careful not to turn in the sediment. It is now ready to make any kind of soup. If you wish to have a jelly in the morning, boil it in six quarts of water. You can then, after taking off the fat, turn the jelly over, and scrape off the sediment. Use the meat for hash. Another way to make soup stock, is to cover the bones of roast meats with cold water and treat in the same manner. This should always be done in boarding-houses and hotels; but in private families (unless very large), there is not meat enough consumed to do this. When making a stock, however, if there are any cold meat bones, they should be used. Professor Blot does not recommend boiling; but I have been more successful in obtaining clear soup in this manner than when I did not let it boil. I would always boil my stock the day before it is to be used, as by this means only can fat be avoided, unless you buy all lean beef, which is very expensive. Do not boil vegetables with the stock, as they cause it to sour quickly.