FINE POINTS IN CHEESE MAKING. J 75 



First, the points involved in the phrase, good inilk ; second, 

 proper manipulation ; third, suitable curing. 



The three groups are each, ''First among equals," as to the 

 relative superiority of importance ; but, togetlier, are the three links 

 of the chain of connection between the farmer and the profit on 

 his cows. If either one be broken disaster ensues, though the 

 other two shall still remain intact. 



' The good ship will be driven bv the storm on to the rocks when 

 one link of the cable snaps, even though a hundred others still, hang 

 as strong and uninjured as on the day when the}' were forged. 



A close analysis of the composition of these links in the chain of 

 good cheese making will i-eveal the difficulties which proved fatal to 

 so man}' hast}- attempts at cooperative dairying in the State. Tlic 

 milkman is the artisan of the first link, the cheese maker of the 

 second, and the factory building is the embodiment of the third. 



The milk owner is competent to know all about the milk, and to a 

 great degree, control its condition. He can also judge intelligently 

 with reference to the curing facilities, for there is no occult mj'sterj' 

 or special skill connected with it. On the points of manipulation 

 he must inevitably defer to the special skill and acquirements of the 

 man who has mastered the situation, and is competent to make his 

 link equal the requirements. 



The maker, however, of necessity occupies the superior position^ 

 in that he must inspect all the work of the milkmen with the 

 thoroughness and minutiae of the army regulations ; and, sufficient 

 in himself to the needs of the daily round of vfork, he will bring- 

 about such combinations of the various ingredients of his curds, 

 that his curing room shall reveal to all comers the unmistakable 

 evidences of choice results. 



The phrase '' good milk " is of itself ambiguous, for milk is often 

 deemed good which is utterly unfit to be made into cheese. Such is 

 the milk for the most part which is peddled on the city streets. Too 

 much has been added to make up for too much subtraction ; or 

 there has been too great a lack of intelligent care between the time 

 of milking and the delivery to the customer. 



Again, it is said that good milk can be had wherever Indian corn 

 will grow and ice be made, but not milk good for prime cheese, as 

 experience shows. In order to fully understand what is good milk 

 for cheese, we will first get an accurate statement of what milk is. 

 For the purposes of this discussion, it is the liquid which is drawn 



