24 KKi'oirr <»f oifiok <»f kxim<:kimknt stations. 



stations than fornu'ily suiiplciiKMitcd their ic^^iilar publications with 

 more (»!• h'ss fr(M|M('nt issues of jiress huUetins and otiier special ])uhli- 

 cations, and most of lh»^ stations i-(>j)ort a hii"e-e and constantly increas- 

 inef coiTespondence with farmers on a wide \ariel y of topics, 



PROGRESS OF THE STATIONS. 



As the woi"k of the experiment stations advances from year (o year 

 experiiiHMital data accumulate in many Hikvs, urid from lime to time 

 results of ^reat (general impoi'tancc come out of this extensive work. 

 A ji^ood example of this at the present time is found in thc^ investij^a- 

 tions of the stations relatinj*- to cheese makinj^. Tiie importance of 

 this industry in this country is shown b}^ the fact that the production 

 now amounts to 800,000,000 pounds a year, valued at approximate!}^ 

 $30,000,000. Though cheese making is pro})ably the oldest daiiy indus- 

 try, very little has been known regarding the principles on which it is 

 based. For centuries it has been carried on largely b}^ rule-of -thumb 

 methods, and the reasons for the various processes and the exact nsiturc 

 of the changes brought about by them have been unknown to the cheese 

 maker. He has been guided mainh' In' the traditions of his art and has 

 depended upon the skill and judginentacquired through longexperience. 



Within the past ten years several of the experiment stations of this 

 country have prosecuted systematic studies of cheese making, with a 

 view of determining the principles upon which it rests and the means 

 of simplifying and improving its processes. Owing to the large number 

 of factors involved the work has been difHcult, and for a considerable 

 time the progress was slow. Now, however, the accumulated results 

 are of great prac^tical value, and it may be fairly claimed not only that 

 this great industry has been put on a rational basis, but also that the 

 art of cheese making has l)een simplihed and its processes can now be 

 more easily controlled, so that good cheese can be more unifornd}'' 

 produced. Besides providing explanations for the important processes 

 in cheese making, the work of the stations has shown that the traditions 

 upon which the empirical rules were founded were absolutely wrong in 

 numerous important particulars and that the judgment of good cheese 

 makers was also erroneous. 



Taken as a whole, the investigations on cheese making hy the Ameri- 

 can experiment stations constitute one of the most important contiMbu- 

 tions of science ever made to any branch of agriculture. A few of tln^ 

 general results of this work may serve to indicate its practical value. 



One of the greatest sources of trou))le in cheese making has been 

 milk which is tainted, or which contains certain kinds of bacteria and 

 molds. The milk of a single patron of a cheese factor}^ may unfavor- 

 ably ati'ect the whole supply by causing gassy curds and other 

 difficulties. To i-enu'd}' this a simple curd test was developed I)}'' the 

 AVisconsin Station a few years ago by means of which fault}' milk may 

 be easilv detected. 



