Make brine, using 1 cup salt to 1 gallon of water. Cover cucumbers with brine and soak for 3 days, draining and making fresh brine each day. Make sure that all cucumbers are covered with the brine.

For the next 3 days, soak cucumbers in alum water (2 scant tablespoons of powdered alum to 1 gallon of water). Drain and make fresh solution every day.

On the 7th day, make vinegar solution using 5 pounds sugar to 1/2 gallon vinegar and 1/2 cup mixed pickle spices. Wash all alum from cucumbers and soak in clear water from 30 to 60 minutes. Drain.

Place cucumbers in large kettle and pour in the vinegar solution. Heat to boiling point. Pour into crock and let stand until eighth day, then bring to a boil and let stand until the ninth day. Heat again and bring to a boiling point and pack cucumbers into hot sterile jars and seal.