226 [Senate 



Thus the same water is made to perform three distinct offices, by no 

 more labor than to turn three cocks with thumb and finger. ^ 



After water in the reservoir is not wanted for cheese making, a 

 pipe conducts it into the top of ice house to freeze in solid mass m 

 winter, for cooling milk the next season. No skimmer, pail or dip- 

 per, is required about this apparatus, only to milk in, as the cream 

 which rises over night is not separated, nor no dipping of milk, whey 

 or water. The heating is done daily, by a handful of chips, or four 

 quarts of charcoal, and all shift of apparatus can be made with one 

 hand while the other is employed in the milk or curd. A young 

 man is hired at $11 per month, for eight months to take the whole 

 charge of nursing, feeding, making and take care of milk and cheese 

 through summer, and does no other business. He is required to keep 

 a register, daily, of the variation (if any) of heat, salt, quality and 

 effect of rennet, number of cows milked, quantity of milk from which 

 cheese is made, condition of curd when put to press, when cheese is 

 put on shelf that it is weighed and numbered upon the bandage, so 

 that when cured the result of certain variations may be known. An 

 inch pipe passes from the steam generator and discharges steam into 

 water under the tin vat ; \in ten minutes the whole mass is warmed to 

 90 degrees to receive rennet. The steam is then turned off (which 

 would otherwise be lost) into a tub which stands high enough to dis- 

 charge into the cheese vat and scald it after the cheese is made. Hot 

 water is drawn at any time from the same to cleanse pails, cloth hoops, 

 &c. Calves' rennets only are used, after being one year dry, they 

 being less apt to make cheese swell in warm weather, and of better 

 flavor. A piece of rennet, to bring curd in 40 minutes, is pounded 

 fine in an iron mortar, and soaked a short time in warm water mixed 

 with a little annatto, drained, strained and put into the milk. When 

 come, the curd is cut in large pieces with a wood knife, thickest in the 

 middle, to give it a slight pressure before there is much surface exposed 

 to be rinsed by whey ; after standing ten minutes, the pieces are cut 

 smaller with the same knife, then broken up by putting the hands to the 

 bottom of the tub, bringing them through to the top, with fingers spread, 

 with a slow motion, to give it all a slight pressure without tearing 

 fine while tender ; heat is kept as high as 88° while working ; steam 

 let on ', the motion and pressure with hands increased with increase 

 of heat and toughness of curd ; heat is kept up to continue the action 

 of the rennet, as it is most active when wa ; heat raised to 98° ; the 

 steam is then turned off ; it is kep"- . mat heat 30 minutes. The 

 scalding is now done ; the water ana whey are discharged, one pound 

 of fine salt to fifty of curd is added, while warm, to shrink the curd 

 and prevent holes in the cheese. After getting cool it is put to 

 press ; the pressure is from five to seven tons ; in six hours is turned 

 into clean cloth, and again in 12 hours more is taken out of the press 

 and put upon the shelf, weighed, bandaged, greased with oil of whey 

 butter, turned daily. No greater heat is ever used in the operation, 

 than the natural heat of milk, (98°.) 



