The Question Box. 147 



samples to the Station several times and much time and money 

 have been spent in investigating them, but I have received no 

 further information than I have given. We have gone so far as 

 to rebuild a factory almost completely, and sent one of our best 

 men, W. W. Hall, to the factory to make the cheese, and yet 

 the spots came into the cheese. We also went to the extent of 

 going to the patrons' dairies and enforcing the law, by compelling 

 them to make everything clean in and about the barns, stables, 

 water and everything else connected with the dairy. At the end 

 of several weeks we were able to make a cheese that went to New 

 York and sold for the full price of best cheese. This was a case 

 in western New York. Some of the patrons said: " This is my 

 farm and I purpose to run it as I have a mind. I'll do nothing 

 of the kind." 



We said : " Very well. You have a right to run your farm 

 as you like, but you will have to keep your milk out of this 

 factory." Results as before stated, a disappearance of the red 

 spots. Mr. Richardson also mentioned a case where red spots 

 came into the cheese of a certain factory. After thorough in- 

 vestigation, it was found that five cows in one herd persisted in 

 drinking from a pool of stagnant water in the pasture. A fence 

 was put around that pool and the cows forced to drink from a 

 running stream with the remainder of the dairy. The result 

 was a disappearance of the spots. 



Mr. Smith. — They are caused by a germ. Prof. Harding has 

 not only discovered it, but cultivates it. I have made cheese from 

 milk inoculated with the germ he cultivates, which was»as red as 

 blood, and I found that it impregnated the curd most after it had 

 been cut. We know what the germ is, but not where it comes from ; 

 but are hoping to ascertain the source during the year. 



Question. — Does it injure the cheese for food ? 



Mr. Smith. — Not at all ; only in its appearance, which gives the 

 buyer a chance to drop the price. 



Question. — What produces sweet or fruity flavor in cheese? 



Prof. Harding. — The Lord only knows; I don't. We have 

 collected 30 samples of cheese within the last year that gave 30 

 different smells. So that fruity flavor is pi-oduced by a multitude 

 of causes. We have corresponded with a number of persons and 

 have made thorough search for these causes, but so far have 

 failed. Up to this time there have been no definite causes dis- 

 covered. The germs that cause these flavors get into milk and 

 produce the same effect somewhat as does yeast in bread. We are 



