130 * BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ing at about 62° or Q3°, and it should be reduced to at least 62° 

 before leaving it for the night. At the factories, where the carry- 

 ino- of the milk and the mingling it together from several dairies 

 has doubtless a tendency to hasten its acidity, there is more neces- 

 sity for care and attention than in families ; or rather there is more 

 danger, of too much acidity. 



It may be proper to observe, that the requisite degree of acid- 

 ity in milk at the time of setting it with rennet, for cheese, is 

 imperfectly understood by the generality of cheese makers, and 

 must be learned by well and carefully conducted experiments. It 

 is not possible to make so good a quality of cheese from milk 

 recently drawn from the cow, or from any milk that has been kept 

 too sweet, as from milk that has acquired proximate acidity. 

 Neither will it be possible to obtain the greatest quantity of curd 

 from the milk so manufactured. Such milk will requine the addi- 

 tion of a small quantity of sour whey. 



At the factories, it is believed, there is more danger from too 

 much acidily than otherwise, since there are many causes to hasten 

 that condition of the milk which are not present in family dairies. 

 In the factories it is usual to cool the evening's milk to about 60°, 

 by. letting in water between the vats, by the use of ice, and by lift- 

 ing and stirring the milk. This, under all circumstances, is or 

 should be attended to. The lifting and stirring of the milk and 

 exposing it to the atmosphere not only serves to cool it down to 

 the desired temperature, but in another way operates favorably on 

 the condition of the milk for the production of fine cheese, since 

 the stirring and lifting process allows the animal odor to pass off 

 more readily. If a considerable quantity of milk directly from the 

 cow be placed in the vat and cooled down without proper exposure 

 to the atmosphere, it retains more or less of this taint, and more 

 especially if the cream soon rises to the surface, forming a barrier 

 of escape, and holding it in the milk. 



Some idea may bo had of the eflect of this animal odor by 

 placing milk recently drawn in a vessel where it is closely confined 

 and excluded from the air. In a few hours it becomes fetid and 

 putrid. In family dairies too little attention is given to this point 

 in the treatment of milk." 



The process- of manufacture at these establishments is substan- 

 tially the same as that set "forth in the report for 1862, pages 

 90-110. Some trifling deviations are made in consequence of dif- 



