SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



103 



are "wooden knives, wire sieves with coarse meshes, cutters made 

 of thin strips of metal crossing each other at right angles, to be 

 thrust downwards ; shovel breakers, revolving breakers, &c., &c. 

 But the best instrument I have seen is known as Young's Dairy- 

 Knife,* consisting of a gang of four or more very thin, smooth two 

 edged steel blades, arranged parallel to each other, about fifteen 

 inches long, thus having ten or fifteen feet of cutting edge to each 

 knife. By passing this knife through the curd, first lengthwise and 

 then crosswise of the vat, it is very smoothly cut into perpendicu- 

 lar columns, without any thing like crushing, tearing or squeezing, 

 aiid the whey escapes clearer and more free from both curd or oil 

 than by any other mode. All whom I have consulted regarding 

 its use, concur in stating that a saving of two or three pounds in 

 the hundred was effected by it over any other mode, and the saving 

 being chiefly of butter, the richness of the product is correspond- 

 ingly increased. It has been introduced into use in this State and 

 gives the highest satisfaction. In Herkimer county. New York, it 

 has nearly displaced all the former contrivances in use. The one 

 with four blades is most commonly used in private dairies. 



After standing for ten or fifteen minutes, the curd is to be again 

 cut still smaller, both to facilitate the escape of the whey and in 

 order that the cooking, now to commence, shall be uniform. As 



*Macle by D. G. Young, Cedarville, Herkimer county, New York. Price for four 

 Waded ones, $2; five bladed, $2.25; six bladed, $2.50. Mr. Young gives the fol- 

 lowing directions for using the dairy knife : 



" When the curd has become firm enough for working, take hold of the knife so 

 that the thumb and fore finger are up and the blades down, with the edges right and 

 left, or as some prefer, by taking hold of the knife as persons usually do of a pen in 

 writing, allowing the blades to hang down. Commence at the side of the tub or vat, 

 having put the knife into the curd so as to nearly reach the bottom, pass it gently 

 from right to left, advancing a little with each motion back and forth After pass- 

 ing through the curd in the same manner ci'osswise, then it should be carefully 

 stirred and after a little more cutting or sufficient to make the curd quite fine, left 

 to settle for fifteen or twenty minutes. After the first cutting the knife may be used 

 with a quicker motion, keeping a little distance from the bottom and sides to avoid 

 cutting the tub or vat; after making a few cuts with the knife, it can be held at 

 rest, while the other hand or with the skimmer or dipper, the curd should be stirred 

 from the side and bottom, that the coarser particles may come where the knife is 

 passed. There will be no necessity to squeeze or work the curd with the hands or 

 fingers to bring it to the desired fineness, as it can be done much easier, quicker and 

 with less waste with the knife than in any other way. 



To clean the knife after using it, turn on the blades hot water sufficient to dry 

 readily without wiping, or when this cannot be done, wrap the wiping-cloth round 

 a case knife or some thin piece of wood and wipe dry." 



