Drying of animal fibre

—The best mode of operating is as follows:—The flesh must be cut into slices from 2 to 6 ounces in weight, immersed in boiling water for 5 or 6 minutes, and then laid on open trellis-work in a drying-stove, at a temperature kept steadily about 122° F., with a constant stream of warm dry air. That the boiling water may not di ipate the soluble animal matters, very little of it should be used, just enough for the meat to be immersed by portions in succe ion, whereby it will speedily become a rich soup, fresh water being added only as evaporation takes place. It is advantageous to add a little salt, and some spices, especially coriander seeds, to the water. After the parboiling of the flesh has been completed, the soup should be evaporated to a gelatinous consistence, in order to fit it for forming a varnish to the meat after it is dried, which may be completely effected within two days in the oven. By this proce two-thirds of the weight is lost. The perfectly dry flesh must be plunged piece by piece in the fatty gelatinous matter liquefied by a gentle heat; then placed once more in the stove, to dry the layer of varnish. This operation may be repeated two or three times, in order to render the coat sufficiently uniform and thick. Butcher’s meat dried in this way, keeps for a year, affords, when cooked, a dish similar to that of fresh meat, and is therefore much preferable to salted provisions. The drying may be facilitated, so that larger lumps of flesh may be used, if they be imbued with some common salt immediately after the parboiling proce , by stratifying them with salt, and leaving them in a proper pickling-tub for 12 hours before they are transferred to the stove. The first method, however, affords the more agreeable article.