A CIIEESE FACTORY. 309 



I will not, however, attempt to give all of them, but selecting 

 the one I am most familiar with, will give its various processes. 

 The milk is taken to the factory on the morning of each day, 

 (Sundays excepted.) Saturday night's milk is taken to the 

 factory at night, and made into cheese, except the cooking pro- 

 cess, which is done Sunday morning. This saves almost the 

 entire labor of the Sabbath. The Sunday morning's milk is 

 cooled and kept till Monday morning. The milk is strained 

 into three-gallon cans and cooled each day before it is taken to 

 the factory, as it is found to be better to remove the animal 

 heat from the milk as soon as possible after it is drawn from the 

 cow. The milk is again strained at the factory into tin vats, 

 capable of holding six hundred gallons. Care is always taken 

 that every article used should be perfectly clean and sweet. 

 When the milk is all in, steam is applied, and the heat raised to 

 eighty-two degrees, when the rennet is put in, also a small 

 amount of coloring, to give the cheese a rich appearance. And 

 here let me say that much depends upon the rennets, and their 

 preparation, for it is impossible to give the cheese a good flavor 

 if this is not carefully attended to. The strength of the rennet, 

 and the quantity to be used is ascertained by trial. The milk 

 should be thoroughly stirred before the rennet is put in, so that 

 the cream may not separate from the milk, and also after, until 

 it shows signs of coagulation ; then cover up and let it stand 

 from fifty to seventy minutes, when the curd is usually hard 

 enough to cut. Enough rennet should be used to have the milk 

 show signs of coagulation in about fifteen minutes. Cut the 

 curd, first, lengthwise of the vat with a gang of steel knives, 

 and then let it stand till the whey separates and nearly covers 

 the curd, then cross the curd in the same way, and apply the 

 heat, working the curd with the hands. Work *gently at first, 

 in order to retain the richness of the cheese. Heat to 88 or 90 

 degrees, then cut the curd about as fine as shelled corn. After 

 cutting, draw off about half the whey, and stir again, and heat 

 to 9G degrees, or 98, if the weather is cool. Stir the curds 

 gently with the hands while heating, and until the temperature 

 is even through the curd, then cover, and let it stand until hard 

 enough to dip out and salt, which is from one to three hours, 

 according to the weather and condition of the curd. Use two 

 and one-half pounds of salt to one hundred gallons of milk. 



