rments used in the preparation of koumiss are stated by Carrick to
be of two different kinds, artificial and natural.

"Of the natural ferments two have been resorted to. One is mentioned by
Grieve, which he borrowed from the Bashkirs of Orenbourg, and which
simply consists in the addition of one sixth part of water and one
eighth of the sourest cows' milk to fresh mares' milk; the other has
been employed, and was, if I mistake not, first recommended by
Bogoyavlensky. It is a very simple if rather a tedious method. New
mares' milk, diluted with one third its bulk of water, is placed in the
_saba_,[21] and while allowed to sour spontaneously, is continually
beaten up. This milk gradually undergoes the vinous fermentation, and in
twenty-four hours is converted into weak koumiss. The disadvantage of
this mode of commencing fermentation is obvious--viz., the great waste
of time in agitation. Hence it is only employed when no artificial
ferment is obtainable.

"In starting the process of fermentation in mares' or any other kind of
milk, therefore, an artificial ferment is more frequently employed than
a natural one. The former is used only for converting the first portion
of milk into koumiss; the latter is always resorted to afterwards.

"Of artificial ferments the variety is great, for besides all putrefying
animal matters which contain nitrogen--such as blood, white of egg,
glue, and flesh--certain mineral substances which act by souring the
milk are also capable of exciting fermentation.

"Now, many of the nomads, whose mares either give no milk or are not
milked in winter, commence the preparation of their koumiss in spring by
borrowing a ferment from the animal, mineral, or vegetable kingdom. Thus
a mixture of honey and flour is the favourite ferment with some races of
nomads; a piece of fresh horse-skin or tendon is preferred by others,
while a few resort to old copper coins, covered with verdigris, for
starting fermentation. In the choice of a ferment they are guided solely
by habit and tradition. As it would be useless, almost impossible, to
give a list of all the foreign substances that have been employed with
the view of converting mares' milk into koumiss, it will be best to
consider the simplest artificial ferments, and those most generally in
use.

"The simplest way is that recommended by Bogoyavlensky, and adopted and
modified by Tchembulatof.[22] It is prepared thus: 'Take a quarter of a
pound of millet-