Use small cucumbers. Wash, dry and place in crock. Cover with brine – 1 1/2 C. salt in 4 quarts cool water. Lay a cloth over the cukes, then place a plate over the top to weight them down so that all of them are covered by brine. Let stand 2 weeks, rinsing the cloth each day to remove the scum that gathers. After two weeks, remove cucumbers from brine, wash well, and cut into 1″ pieces. Place in crock and cover with alum mixture — 1 T. powdered alum in 2 quarts cool water — and leave for 18 hours. Drain well and cover with hot syrup — 2 quarts sugar, 1 quart vinegar, with 1 T. whole cloves and 2 sticks cinnamon per quart of liquid used tied in cheesecloth, brought to a boil. Each day for three days, drain off the syrup and bring to a boil and re-pour over the cucumbers. On the fourth day, drain, boil, add 2 C. sugar. Meanwhile transfer pickles to jars. Pour syrup over pickles in jars. Cover. No need to seal.