186 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



excellence in cheese ? I answer, that the grass upon our hills 

 and in our valle3's cannot be surpassed by the coarse and 

 more luxuriant grass on the plains of the West in giving that 

 mild, rich and agreeable taste which we all admire. The 

 other great substantial element of life, pure water, can no- 

 where be found in greater perfection than in the soft, pure 

 water from the ten thousand springs that gush from our hill- 

 sides on every hand. 



Water is more the life of animal existence than solid food, 

 and our soft water has its decided advantages over the water 

 of the sluggish creeks and hard-water wells in the clay-lime 

 subsoil of the West in producing milk of the highest qualit3^ 

 Again, we live nearer the markets, and moreoA'cr have a 

 home-market only a few hours distant, while theirs must be 

 on the road from one to two weeks, and when shipped for 

 Europe, as most of it is, must be in the boxes three or four 

 weeks. Cheese confined from a free, pure atmosphere and a 

 moderate degree of sunlight cannot mature to that perfection 

 which it will when these conditions exist. 



There is much difference in opinion as to what a good 

 cheese should be in all respects ; and the question arises, 

 What is the standard of excellence in cheese ? In answer we 

 can simply give our own opinion. It should be so mild to the 

 taste as to leave none in the mouth, so delicate in texture that 

 it dissolves with but little mastication and yet leaves no sticky 

 impression on the palate, and when pressed between the 

 thumb and finger have a slightly elastic touch, yielding but not 

 salvy, — one that is so easily digested and inoffensive to the 

 stomach that a dyspeptic, a delicate lady or child may eat of 

 it with freedom, and yet is substantial food for the strong and 

 stalwart man, upon w^hich he may rely as much as on any 

 other article of diet for power to his muscles and vitality to 

 his system. 



There has been a wonderful change, both in this country 

 and in Europe, within the last fifteen j^ears, in the taste for 

 excellent cheese, and we believe that the greater the discrim- 

 ination and the more general the appreciation of the intrinsic 

 merits of this staple commodity, the greater will be the 

 demand. 



The question has arisen iu our minds, To what extent shall 



