510 



Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



INSTRUCTION IN CHEESE-MAKING. 



By R. T. Archer. 



Early last year instructions were received from the Director of 

 Agriculture to devote my attention particularly to tlie improvement 

 of the quality of cheese produced in Victoria, and my first step was 

 to visit the agents and salesmen in Melbourne to ascertain who were 

 the most in need of attention, and from this source a long list was 

 obtained. In the meantime there were numerous applications for 

 my services, and these were attended to in order of application or 

 urgency. 



A great number adhere to the American or stirred curd system, 

 and to this is due the greater quantity of inferior cheese placed on 

 the market. It is almost impossible to make cheese of as uniformly 

 good quality by that as by the Canadian Cheddar system as too much 

 is left to judgment, taste and smell, proficiency in which can only be 

 obtained after many years of practical experience and study, whereas 

 the Canadian system is practically a certainty provided the given 

 rules and tests are adhered to, and by which a novice can attain 

 success in a few weeks and make a more uniform article than others 

 with years of experience on the old system. A notable instance of 

 this is the manager of the Farnham factory, Mr. Ryan, whose cheese, 

 his Melbourne agents state, is equal to anything coming into the 

 market and has been from the commencement, which is the result of 

 a fortnight's tuition at the start, and is practically due to the regular 

 use of the titration test for acidity, which was fully described in an 

 article in the Journal in June, 1902, and which was first introduced 

 by me into this State in connection with cheese-making. When this 

 test is thoroughly understood, and it is very simple, its use will 

 prevent many of the errors into which cheese-makers fall, especially 

 before they have had considerable experience. 



Several factories continue to pay for the milk, at per gallon, a 

 uniform rate irrespective of quality, a practice discarded by the leading 

 factories 12 or 13 years ago, since it really offers a premium for dis- 

 honesty by adding water or skimming. Many cheese-makers are under 

 the impression that milk poor in butter fat is more suitable for cheese- 

 making than that rich in butter fat, the error of which was pointed 

 out in my reports to the Wangerrip and Lower Gellibrand Cheese 

 Factories and others, giving the following tables as evidence of this. 



TABLE SHOWING RELATION OF FAT IN MILK TO YIELD TN CHEESE. 



