REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURIST 69 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



paper carton should be provided as a protection against either hard or readily dis- 

 integrating substances likely to spoil the appearance or injure the quality of the 

 delicate product. 



Keeping Qualities. 

 Such cheese keeps for a short time only and had better be used when quite fresh. 



COUIOMMIER CHEESE. 



Accommodation. 



Any clean room with good ventilation and where a fairly even temperature can 

 be maintained will do to make the cheese in. The cleanliness, however, is very im- 

 portant. Perhaps a clean, air cellar is best of all, because there is a fairly even tem- 

 perature can be maintained, and it is cool in summer. It must, however, be free from 

 dust and smells, as cheese, like all milk products, is very easily tainted and very readily 

 absorbs surrounding odours. The best room temperature is from 60° F ; to 65° IT. 

 If the room gets overheated, the cheese is apt to drain too quickly, there is loss of fat 

 and a hard, dry cheese is the result. If, on the other hand, the room is too cold, the 

 cheese does not drain quickly enough and it may develop a bad or bitter flavour. 



Milk. 



Sweet and clean new milk of good quality makes the best cheese. All the fat or 

 cream should be left in the milk. Skim milk makes a very hard, dry, unpalatable 

 cheese. Acid milk also makes a harsh, dry cheese. 



Rennet. 



Rennet may be used in either the extract or tablet form. "Where only small 

 quantities are used, the tablets are best, as they are easier to obtain fresh in small 

 quantities and keep better. Rather less should be used than that recommended in the 

 directions for junket, as in this case a soft curd is wanted, which will take from two 

 to three hours to eoagulatt. 



Salt. 



Pure dairy salt with a fine grain which will dissolve readily, should be used. It 

 may not be generally known that salt absorbs surrounding odours almost as readily 

 as milk. It should, therefore, be kept in a pure atmosphere. 



Appliances — Vessels to Hold Mill: 



Wooden tubs with lids are best, but are by m, means absolutely indispensable. 

 Wood is a poor conductor of heat and we want to maintain an even temperature of 

 the milk after setting, for two reasons. In the first place if the temperature of the 

 i, iik falls much before ladling, the curd will not drain so well in the mould. In 

 the second place, cream always rises best on the milk in a falling temperature. If we 

 '•' t the temperature fall much during coagulation, we shall have a thick layer of cre;'.ni 

 on the top of the curd. The consequence of this will be that some of the fat will pass 

 off in the whey and be lost, while what remains in the curd will not be evenly distri- 

 buted, but will appear in streaky masses throughout the finished cheese. Oak is the 

 host wood, as it is most durable and, being hard, it is easily cleaned. If tubs are not 

 convenient, pails of either tin or enamel may be used instead. 



Draining Table. 



The table on which the cheeses are set to drain should slope slightly and should 

 have an outlet at the lower end for carrying off the whey. A pail should be placed 



