THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



295 



the lower the temperature ; and in the spring and 

 the fall of the year, it is requisite to raise it a few 

 degrees higher. The proper temperature is ob- 

 tained by warming the milk, that has previously been 

 skimmed (care is taken not to heat any portion above 

 120 degrees) ; when this is done, the rennet and 

 colouring matter are added, and stirred gently 

 through the milk. Nearly all Wiltshire cheese is 

 coloured, and the fluid extract of annatto, manu- 

 factured by Mr. W. Nicholls of Chippenham, is 

 now almost universally used for that purpose. It 

 has obtained the approbation of both factors and 

 dairymen, (and I may mention, as a proof of its 

 approval, that Mr. Nicholls had a substantial tes- 

 timonial presented to him some time last year, for 

 his perseverance in the successful production of an 

 article so essential for colouring cheese.) 



The time allowed for coagulation is about an 

 hour ; and when that is comjilete, the curd is cut 

 across with long knives, reaching to the bottom of 

 the tub, and the " breaking up" is carefully ma- 

 naged by the use of a small stirring stick (similar 

 to a brewer's washing oar in miniature) ; the spars^ 

 either of stout brass wire or galvanized iron, being 

 put to the bottom of the tub, and raised gradually 

 through the curd ; this is continued till all is broken 

 fine. At this stage of the proceedings an im- 

 portant operation is required, on which the quality 

 of the cheese much depends, viz., that of adding the 

 " scald," that is, a quantity of whey, heated to 

 about ninety-five degrees. Some parties add it in 

 the " slip," as it is technically termed, or when the 

 curd is smooth and soft, and before it is settled 

 down; and by others, it is added when the curd 

 has settled and become firm. This latter plan is 

 generally adopted in the dairies of the richer parts 

 of the district ; and the former where land is not so 

 good. After the scald is added, it is stirred well 

 together for ten minutes, and then allowed to set- 

 tle at the bottom of the tub. The whey is then 

 lifted out in wood or tin bowls, and poured into 

 the leads, passing through a fine sieve, which keeps 

 back any small particles of curd that may be taken 

 out with the whey. When the whey is all di[)ped 

 off, the curd is then scoured with a knife in various 

 directions, and placed in a heap on one side of 

 the tub. It is cut and turned over, and heaped 

 two or three times, to allow the whey to drain off 

 more completely. To facilitate this, the tub is 

 raised a little on one side. The curd is pressed 

 either with the hands or by means of a board with 

 a weight to press out the whey that remains. A 

 cloth is generally placed over the curd, for the 

 sake of cleanliness. 



When sufficiently dry, the curd is again cut into 

 pieces, salted at the rate of about a pound and-a- 

 half of salt to the cwt., this varying with the thick- 

 ness of the cheese intended to be made. 



It is then put through the mill and broken very 

 fine into the vats ; a cloth is put into each vat, and 

 the curd pressed down by the hands ; the vats are 

 filled above the edges to allow for compression. 

 When the vats are all filled they are placed in the 

 press for about an hour or so; the cheeses are then 

 taken out and another cloth wrung out of warm 

 water or whey put on them, and the cheeses re- 

 turned to the press. 



This is repeated with dry cloths once or twice, 

 and any edges that may protrude over the vats are 

 pared oti". In twenty-four hours after making, the 

 cheese is rubbed with salt on both sides, and this 

 process is repeated again on the three following 

 days for thick cheese — twice is considered suffi- 

 cient for thin cheese. On the fourth or fifth day 

 the cheeses are placed in the vat without any cloth ; 

 a little salt is rubbed over to prevent its sticking 

 to the vat ; some use unbleached calico to make 

 the outside smooth. 



They are turned in the vat every morning to the 

 seventh or eighth day, or till they are worked 

 through the press in use, when they are taken to 

 the cheese-room or loft, aud spread singly on the 

 floor or on shelves placed on stands erected in the 

 room, when they are turned every day for the first 

 fortnight or so, and after that they are turned over 

 twii:e or three times a week. 



The cheese-room, which is generally over the 

 dairy, is kept dry and well ventilated ; when in such 

 case, and with good management, in ten weeks or 

 three months the summer-made cheese will be fit 

 for market. In the cheese-room of all well-managed 

 dairies a stove is kept for raising the temperature 

 in the months of autumn and winter; by this 

 means the late-made cheese not only becomes 

 ready much earlier than when left to chance, but is 

 kept in far better condition. 



The size Wiltshire cheese is usually made is four 

 to the hundredweight, so long as there is sufficient 

 milk to make them that size (40 cows in the sum- 

 mer months will make about four cheeses, or one 

 hundredweight, per day) : as the milk decreases in 

 the autumn and in the spring, they are made five 

 or six to the hundi'ed weight, and sometimes less 

 than that. Loaf cheeses are made in small dairies, 

 but there is considerable more work attending this 

 kind, and though the price is generally higher, still 

 it barely remunerates for the extra trouble. 



The cream is taken off the whey after remaining 

 in the leads twenty-four hours; it is then turned to 

 the vaults for pigs. One great object of a dairy 

 manager is to preserve as much of the fatty matter 

 in the cheese as possible, and have as little whey 

 butter as may be. It is seldom that the quantity 

 amounts to more than half-a-pound per cow per 

 week. 



The whey is used by some for fattening pigs ; by- 

 others breeding pigs are kept, who sell the stores 

 at six or seven months old for others to fatten. At 

 the present time fattening is the more general plan 

 pursued, and on some farms large quantities of 

 corn are purchased and used with the whey. In 

 one instance (on a farm of 400 acres) nearly 2,000 

 sacks have been used annually for some years past. 

 The condition of that farm can be better imagined 

 than described. 



I shall now proceed to give an account of the 

 method of making cheese by Keevil's patent appa- 

 ratus, which has been introduced three or four 

 years. It has so often been exhibited to the public 

 at the different agricultural shows, and at all mar- 

 kets where those interested in cheese-making at- 

 tend, that I do not think it is now necessary to 

 give a description of the apparatus. 



From the testimonials received by the inventor 



