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The Country Gentlematis Magazine 



IMPROVEMENT IN CHEESE-MAKING. 



AT the dinner of tlie Over Agricultural 

 Society last week, Mr Joseph Aston, 

 himself a very successful dair)' farmer, gave 

 some good advice anent cheese-making. 

 Some persons could never make fine cheese, 

 and after struggling on for years at last gave 

 up the occupation and turned to some more 

 remunerative employment. But although 

 cheese-makers might have difficulties to 

 contend with, he considered that if the 

 observations he was about to make were 

 attended to, the results would be satisfactory. 

 First, the cattle should be fed well ; secondly, 

 the milk should be put in airy places during 

 hot weather, and be free at all times from 

 unpleasant smell ; thirdly, the vessels should 

 be sweet and clean ; fourthly, the rennet 

 should be applied to the milk at the proper 

 temperature, according to the state of the 

 w^eather and the condition of the milk ; 

 fifthly, the curd should be handled in a 

 careful and skilful manner ; lastl)-, the proper 

 quantity of salt should be applied ; and if, 

 after complying with these conditions, any 

 one failed to make good cheese, rest assured 

 there was something wrong somewhere, and 

 they should not rest satisfied till the cause 

 had been found out. Salt was of little or 

 no use unless the state of the curd was duly 

 considered and thoroughly understood at the 

 time it was applied. Cheese was either 

 under or over cured, which greatly lessened its 

 value, in some instances as much as 30s. per 

 cwt. While it was well to guard against 

 extremes, it was better, in his opinion, to 

 over-salt the curd than to under-salt it. He 

 was strongly inclined to think that a great 

 deal of the cheese imported from America 

 was greatly lessened in value for want of 

 more salt. True, it was very rich, but when 

 exposed to the air the colour soon faded, the 

 flavour became strong, it rapidly decomposed, 

 and in some instances was scarcely fit for 

 consumption. The Americans about six or 

 eight years ago made sure about driving the 



English cheese-makers out of the market, but 

 they had not done so, and, in his opinion, 

 never would, for the best descriptions of 

 English cheese were still worth 12s. to 14s. 

 per cwt. more than the best American. He 

 had no desire to undervalue the rapid pro- 

 gress which the Americans had made in 

 cheese-making for a number of years past. 

 He believed there was no nation on the face 

 of the earth that had effected greater im- 

 provements in dairying in a given time than 

 the Americans, who had among them some 

 of the best scientific cheese makers, who had 

 given to the world a great deal of valuable 

 information ; but after all their advances and 

 experiments, the conclusion arrived at was 

 that more depended on the management 

 and skill of the maker than on following 

 out any prescribed mode; and it was 

 the case everywhere that 9-ioths of the 

 best cheese were made by rule of thumb, 

 and by parties who had no idea of reducing 

 cheese-making to a science. While rapid 

 progress had been made in some industries, 

 in cheese-making they could not do better, 

 in his opinion, than follow in the footsteps of 

 their forefathers ; and if they did so they 

 might rest satisfied they would establish the 

 Avide-spread fame of their staple commodity. 

 He had been trying for a number of years 

 to make improvements in his dairy, and had 

 met with small success — in fact, some persons 

 had told him it was better fifteen or sixteen, 

 years ago than it was now. The mode was- 

 more rapid, but the cheese did not keep fine 

 in flavour so long. He had, however, suc- 

 ceeded in reducing his dairy labour, and that 

 was a step in the right direction, when ser- 

 vants were scarce and wages high. Mr 

 Marshall, in responding to the toast of "The 

 Strangers," at the Tarporley dinner, spoke of" 

 the successes and reverses of exhibitors in 

 various show-yards, and appeared to think- 

 that tliey were very unaccountable. He in- 

 stanced Prescott taking the first prize at the- 



