AWARDS OF PREMIUMS. 407 



How THE Cheese was Made. 



The cheese we present for exhibition at the State Fair was 

 made in the town of Burlington, one mile west of the village, 

 On the farm known as the Perkins Dairy Farm. The cheese 

 was made in the month of July, from the milk of thirty-four 

 cows, at two milkings. The evening milk was strained into a 

 large zinc vat, placed inside of a wooden one ; the space between 

 the two, capable of holding from fifteen to twenty pails of water, 

 which can be drawn off and filled, to cool the milk as occasion 

 may require. In the morning, the cream was taken from the 

 vat (to make butter for family use), and the new milk added (no 

 warming in hot weather) ; it is now ready for the rennet. There 

 are various modes of preserving the rennet ; the usual one is to 

 fill with salt and dry ; soak in water till the strength is partially 

 obtained, then add as mach salt as will dissolve, to keep it sweet. 

 The quantity to be used, is the smallest that will possibly fetch 

 the cheese, in from forty minutes to an hour. When the milk 

 has become well coagulated, we cut with a wooden knife, each 

 way, in small squares ; let stand from ten to fifteen minutes ; 

 then with the skimmer cut it fine, very carefully (to prevent 

 washing, as that extracts the best of the cheese, causing the 

 whey to look milky) : let stand a few minutes to settle, then dip 

 off the whey ; place it over a slow fire, to warm gently ; break 

 again with the skimmer; add the warm whey; repeating the 

 same process till we can squeeze with the hands without mash- 

 ing ; then separate the curd from the whey, and salt with com- 

 mon good barrel salt. We use about half an ounce of salt to a 

 pound of dry cheese, and much care in rubbing it in, to get it 

 through the whole and not mash the curd. 



We use the screw press, letting the cheese stand about thirty 

 minutes; then turn into a fine linen cloth, where it remains 

 twenty -four hours ; take it out, oil with oil, made from skimming 

 the whey; bandage with thin cotton cloth, dipped in oil. Turn 

 over every day ; rub and oil them well. We use as little heat 

 about making cheese as will possibly harden the curd, never 



