[_Ash from insoluble matter included in weights given_] [0134] [0296] [0081]
Water 86860 86557 88180 -------- -------- -------- 100000 100000 100000
=RATAFI'A.= Originally a liquor drank at the ratification of an agreement or treaty. It is now the common generic name in France of liqueurs compounded of spirit, sugar, and the odoriferous and flavouring principles of vegetables, more particularly of those containing the juices of recent fruits, or the kernels of apricots, cherries, or peaches. In its unqualified sense this name is commonly understood as referring to cherry-brandy or peach-brandy.
Ratafias are prepared by distillation, maceration, or extemporaneous admixture, in the manner explained under the head LIQUEUR. The following list includes those which are commonly prepared by the French liquoristes:--
=Ratafia d'Angelique.= From angelica seeds, 1 dr.; angelica stalks, 4 oz.; blanched bitter almonds, bruised, 1 oz.; proof spirit or brandy, 6 quarts; digest for 10 days, filter; add, of water, 1 quart; white sugar, 3-1/2 lbs.; mix well, and in a fortnight decant the clear portion through a piece of clean flannel.
=Ratafia d'Anis.= See (Liqueur) CORDIAL, ANISEED.
=Ratafia de Baume de Tolu.= From balsam of Tolu, 1 oz.; rectified spirit, 1 quart; dissolve, add water, 3 pints; filter, and further add of white sugar, 1-1/2 lb. Pectoral and traumatic.
=Ratafia de Brou de Noix.= From young walnuts with soft shells (pricked or pierced), 60 in no.; brandy, 2 quarts; mace, cinnamon, and cloves, of each 15 gr.; digest for 8 weeks; press, filter, add of white sugar, 1 lb.; and keeping it for some months before decanting it for use. Stomachic.
=Ratafia de Cacao.= _Syn._ R. DE CHOCOLAT. From Caracca cacao-nuts, 1 lb.; West Indian do., 1/2 lb.; (both roasted and bruised;) proof spirit, 1 gall.; digest for 14 days, filter, and add, of white sugar, 2-1/2 lbs.; tincture of vanilla, 1/2 dr. (or shred of vanilla may be infused with the nuts in the spirit instead); lastly, decant in a month, and bottle it.
=Ratafia de Cafe.= From coffee, ground and roasted, 1 lb.; brandy or proof spirit, 1 gall.; sugar, 2 lbs. (dissolved in); water, 1 quart; as last.
=Ratafia de Cassis.= From black currant juice, 1 quart; cinnamon, 1 dr.; cloves and peach kernels, of each 1/2 dr.; brandy, 1 gall.; white sugar, 3 lbs.; digest for a fortnight, and strain through flannel.
=Ratafia de Cerise.= From Morello cherries, with their kernels bruised, 8 lbs.; brandy or proof spirit, 1 gall.; white sugar, 2 lbs.; as last.
=Ratafia de Chocolat.= Ratafia de cacao (see _above_).
=Ratafia de Coings.= From quince juice, 3 quarts; bitter almonds, 3 dr.; cinnamon and coriander seeds, of each 2 dr.; mace, 1/2 dr.; cloves, 15 gr.
(all bruised); rectified spirit, (quite flavourless), 1/2 gall.; digest for a week, filter, and add of white sugar, 3-1/2 lbs.
=Ratafia de Creme.= From creme de noyeau and sherry, of each 1/4 pint; capillaire, 1/2 pint; fresh cream, 1 pint; beaten together.
=Ratafia de Curacoa.= Curacoa.
=Ratafia de Framboises.= Raspberry cordial.
=Ratafia de Genievre.= From juniper berries (each pricked with a fork), 1/4 lb.; caraway and coriander seed, of each 40 gr.; finest malt spirit (22 u. p.), 1 gall.; white sugar 2 lbs.; digest a week, and strain with expression.
=Ratafia de Grenoble.= From the small wild black cherry (with the kernels bruised), 2 lbs.; proof spirit, 1 gall.; white sugar, 3 lbs.; citron peels, a few grains; as before.
=Ratafia de Grenoble, de Teyssere.= From cherries (bruised with the stones), 1 quart; rectified spirit, 2 quarts; mix, digest for 48 hours, then express the liquor, and heat it to boiling in a close vessel; when cold, add of sugar or capillaire, q. s., together with some noyeau, to flavour, and a little syrup of the bay laurel, and of galangal; in 3 months decant, and bottle it.
=Ratafia de Noyeau.= From peach or apricot kernels (bruised), 120 in no.; proof spirit or brandy, 2 quarts; white sugar, 1 lb.; digest for a week, press, and filter.
=Ratafia de illets.= From clove-pinks (without the white buds), 4 lbs.; cinnamon and cloves, of each 15 gr.; proof spirit, 1 gall.; macerate for 10 days, express the tincture, filter, and add of white sugar, 2-1/2 lbs.
=Ratafia d'Ecorce d'Orange.= Creme d'Orange.
=Ratafia de Fleurs d'Oranger.= From fresh orange petals, 2 lbs.; proof spirit, 1 gall.; white sugar, 2-1/2 lbs.; as last. Instead of orange flowers, neroli, 1 dr., may be used.
=Ratafia a la Provencale.= From striped pinks, 1 lb.; brandy or proof spirit, 1 quart; white sugar, 3/4 lb.; juice of strawberries, 3/4 pint; saffron, 20 gr.; as before.
=Ratafia des Quatre Fruits.= From cherries, 30 lbs.; gooseberries, 15 lbs.; raspberries, 8 lbs.; black currants, 7 lbs.; express the juice, and to each pint add, of white sugar, 6 oz.; cinnamon, 6 gr.; cloves and mace, of each 3 gr.
=Ratafia Rouge.= From the juice of black cherries, 3 quarts; juices of strawberries and raspberries, of each 1 quart; cinnamon, 1 dr.; mace and cloves, of each 15 gr.; proof spirit or brandy, 2 galls.; white sugar, 7 lbs.; macerate, &c., as before.
=Ratafia Sec.= Take of the juice of gooseberries, 5 pints; juices of cherries, strawberries, and raspberries, of each 1 pint; proof spirit, 6 quarts; sugar, 7 lbs.; as before.
=Ratafia a la Violette.= From orris powder, 3 oz.; litmus, 4 oz.; rectified spirit, 2 galls.; digest for 10 days, strain, and add of white sugar, 12 lbs.; dissolved in soft water, 1 gall.
=RATS.= The common or brown rat is the _Mus Decumanus_ (Linn.), one of the most prolific and destructive species of the _Rodentia_. It was introduced to these Islands from Asia; and has since spread over the whole country, and multiplied at the expense of the black rat (_Mus Rattus_--Linn.), which is the old British species of this animal, until its inroads on our granaries, our stores, and dwelling-houses have increased to such an extent, that its extirpation has become a matter of serious, if not of national, importance.
For the destruction of these noxious animals two methods are adopted:--
1. Trapping. To render the bait more attractive, it is commonly sprinkled with a little of one of the rat scents noticed below. The trap is also occasionally so treated.
2. Poisoning. The following are reputed the most effective mixtures for this purpose:--
ARSENICAL PASTE. From oatmeal or wheaten flour, 3 lbs.; powdered indigo, 1/2 oz.; finely powdered white arsenic, 1/4 lb.; oil of aniseed, 1/2 dr.; mix, add of melted suet, 2-1/2 lbs.; and beat the whole into a paste. A similar compound has the sanction of the French Government.
ARSENICAL POWDER. From oatmeal, 1 lb.; moist sugar, 1/4 lb.; white arsenic and rotten cheese, of each 1 oz.; rat-scent, a few drops.
MILLERS' RAT POWDER. From fresh oatmeal, 1 lb.; nux vomica (in very fine powder), 1 oz.; rat-scent, 5 or 6 drops. This is highly spoken of by those who have used it.
MINERAL RAT-POISON. From carbonate of baryta, 1/4 lb.; sugar and oatmeal, of each 6 oz.; oils of aniseed and caraway, of each a few drops.
PHILANTROPE MUOPHOBON. A French preparation, which, according to Mr Beasley, consists of tartar emetic, 1 part, with farinaceous matter, 4 parts, and some other (unimportant) ingredients.
PHOSPHOR PASTE.
RAT-SCENTS. The following are said to be the most attractive:
_a._ Powdered cantharides steeped in French brandy. For traps. It is said that rats are so fond of this, that if a little be rubbed about the hands they may be handled with impunity.
_b._ From powdered assaftida, 8 gr.; oil of rhodium, 2 dr.; oil of aniseed, 1 dr.; oil of lavender, 1/2 dr.; mix by agitation.
_c._ From oil of aniseed, 1/2 oz.; tincture of assaftida, 1/4 oz.
_d._ From oil of aniseed, 1/4 oz.; nitrous acid, 2 to 3 drops; musk, triturated with a little powdered sugar, 1 gr.
=RA'ZORS.= See PAPERS, PASTE, and SHAVING.
=REA'GENTS.= See TESTS.
=REAL'GAR.= This valuable red pigment is the bisulphide of arsenic. It is found native in some volcanic districts; but that of commerce is prepared by distilling, in an earthen retort, arsenical pyrites, or a mixture of sulphur and arsenic, of orpiment and sulphur, or of arsenious acid, sulphur, and charcoal, in the proper proportions. See DISULPHIDE OF ARSENIC.
=RECOMMENDATIONS TO FARMERS.= A series of valuable suggestions, intended for the guidance of farmers in the purchase of manures and cattle-feeding materials have lately been issued by the Royal Agricultural Society of England. In substance they are as follows:--In the purchase of feeding-cakes, the guarantee of 'pure' should be insisted upon, since this means a legal warranty that the article is produced from good clean seed.
The terms 'best' and 'genuine' are of no value, and should be objected to.
Furthermore, the sample should be subjected to analysis. For this purpose a sample should be taken out of the middle of the cake, whilst the remainder of the cake from which the sample has been selected, should be sealed up and placed aside for reference in case of dispute.
The following advice is given to farmers about to purchase manures:--Raw bones or bone dust should be purchased 'as pure,' whilst they should be guaranteed to contain not less than 45 per cent. of tribasic phosphate of lime, and 4 per cent. of ammonia. 'Boiled bones' should be purchased as 'pure' boiled bones, guaranteed to contain not less than 48 per cent. of tribasic phosphate of lime, and 1-3/4 per cent. of ammonia. Dissolved bones vary so greatly that the buyer should insist on a guarantee of quality under the heads of 'soluble phosphate of lime,' 'insoluble phosphate of lime,' and 'nitrogen' or 'ammonia,' also for an allowance at current rates for each unit per cent. if the bones should prove on analysis to contain less than the guaranteed per-centages, &c. It should be insisted that mineral superphosphates are delivered dry and in good condition, and be guaranteed to contain a certain per-centage of soluble phosphates at a certain price per unit per cent. No value is to be attached to 'insoluble phosphates.' Compound artificial manures, which are rarely used, should be purchased on exactly the same terms. Nitrate of soda should be purchased on exactly the same terms. Nitrate of soda should be guaranteed to contain 94 to 95 per cent. of pure nitrate. Sulphate of ammonia should yield 35 per cent. of ammonia. Peruvian guano should be sold under that name, and guaranteed to be in a dry, friable condition, and to contain a certain per-centage of ammonia.