CEEAM AND BUTTEE. 



Ordinary cream contains approximately about four and one-half times as 

 much fat as an equal volume of milk, and slightly less protein and carbohydrates 

 than whole milk. It is, naturally, chiefly valuable for its heat producing power, 

 just as skim milk is valuable for its muscle-forming properties. TVhien we con- 

 sider that a pound of butter costs very little more than a pint of cream, and that 

 the butter contains fully two and one-half times as much fat as the cream, it will 

 be seen that cream is not an economical food. 



Buttermilk. 



The average composition of buttermilk is quite similar to that of skim milk, 

 though it contains slightly less protein and sugar and a little more fat. It has, 

 consequently, about the same value as skim milk. The acid developed in souring 

 the cream gives it a sour taste and possibly gives to it some physiological effects 

 not enjoyed by the skim milk. 



CHEESE. 



The cheese used in largest quantitv' in the homes of this country is the Cana- 

 dian Cheddar. It was formerly made in the farm homes, but it has now become 

 a big commercial enterprise and practically all of it is made in factories, of which 

 there are over 1,000 in the Province of Ontario alone. In the year 1912 these 

 factories manufactured 129,655,063 pounds of cheese, valued at $16,574,573.00. 

 A large amount of this cheese is exported annually, and it is to be feared that 

 very little of the best cheese finds its way into Ontario homes. Comparatively 

 little of the soft, or what are sometimes called fancy cheese are made here, al- 

 though it is estimated that probably one-tenth of the total amount of cheese con- 

 sumed in the Province is made up of the numerous varieties included under this 

 name. 



Briefly, the general process of cheese-making is as follows: The casein of the 

 milk is coagulated by rennet, forming a curd, which mechanically holds nearly all 

 the fat of the milk. The curd is broken up and after heating to a temperature of 

 98 to 104° P., and developing a certain amount of acid, the whey is drained off. 

 This contains nearly all the sugar and albumin of the milk. After allowing the 

 curd to be still further modified by the action of acid and rennet, it is salted and 

 pressed, and set away to ripen. During this " ripening " process the tough, rub- 

 berv curd is broken down into a material of a mellow and almost butterv con- 

 stituency. By varying the proportion of butter fat retained or added to the milk, 

 or by varying the methods of separating, preparing, seasoning, and handling the 

 curd, and by changing the temperature and general conditions under which the 

 curd is ripened, an almost innumerable variety of cheese may be prepared. Many 

 of the soft or fancy cheese on the market are desirable foods, but, owing to the 

 higher flavor common to many of these and to the fact that they are more expen- 

 sive, they will always be used as condiments and can never take the place of 

 Cheddar cheese as an article of food. 



