The Question Box. 153 



Question. — What would be the cost of constructing a subearth 

 duct curing-room at our cheese factory ? What would be the profits 

 to the patrons \ 



Mr. Smith. — Prof. Robertson of Canada, said at the meeting 

 of the ISTew York Dairymen's Association at Watertown, that 

 several subearth ducts had been put into cheese factories over 

 there, at a cost of about $450 to $500, per factory, where the 

 milk from GOO cows is received. The profit from the sales of 

 cheese paid for the investment the first year. . Mr. Smith next 

 told what differences he found in the quality of cheese made the 

 same day at the Station, from the same milk in the same vat. The 

 process of manufacture was just the same till they went into the 

 curing-room, where the temperature varied from 55 degrees to 80 

 degrees. Those cured at the lowest temperature being much finer 

 and keeping much the better. These experiments were made July 

 27th, July 30th, August 1st, August 3d and August 8th. Practi- 

 cally, the results were the same. He also said that, at the Wis- 

 consin Experiment Station, cheese were put into cold storage and 

 frozen at 15 degrees. They came out after having been held there 

 some time, and were found fine in flavor. There is no question, 

 Mr. Smith said, that the temperature of the average factory 

 curing-room is much too high, and that the putting in of sub- 

 earth ducts would not only greatly improve the quality of the 

 cheese but greatly enlarge the home market, resulting in higher 



prices. 



Question. — Would you ripen separator cream or churn it while 



sweet? 



Mr. Smith. — If one undertook to chum pure sweet cream, I 

 think that he would have to have a plenty of time and a good deal 

 of patience. Before cream is churned it should be thoroughly 

 mixed, reduced to an even temperature, then warmed up and 

 ripened by the addition of a " starter," made from pure, slightly 

 aci( { milk — say a tablespoonful in a gallon. Warm up the mass 

 to 68 degrees; in a few minutes it will be thoroughly mixed. Set 

 it away, and the next morning the whole mass will be slighth 

 sour; put it into the churn and in 30 minutes you will have the 



butter. 



Mv Rice.— It is quite a good many years since I worked the 

 churn handle, but I think that sweet cream will not churn so 

 quickly nor churn out so thoroughly as will ripened cream. 



Q ur ; st i on ._I have often had samples of milt taken and tested. 

 Can one get good tests of milk kept one or two weeks? 



