8 July, 1907.] Cheese Production in Victoria. 409 



THE POSSIBILITIES OF CHEESE PRODUCTION IN 



VICTORIA.* 



/. G. McMillan, N.D.D., Cheese Expert. 



Many reasons might be put forward why Victoria is not what may be 

 termed, in the true sense of the word, a cheese producing State, though, 

 as Mr. Crowe has pointed out, the production of this article of diet has 

 increased considerably during the past year. Instead, however, of only 

 making about 2,000 tons, five times that amount ought to be produced. 

 There are several important factors conducive to the successful development 

 of the cheese industry and these are : climate, suitability of country, clean- 

 liness, good water, ability of the cheesemaker, suitable plant and buildings, 

 the bringing of the product before the public, and markets for our output. 



We often hear the remark that Victoria has too hot a climate for the 

 production of good cheese. This statement has been shown to be utterly 

 fallaciolis as proved by practical results. Mr. Sawers, the New Zealand 

 expert, who was one of the judges at the Melbourne A.N. A. Exhibition in 

 January last said, when commenting upon the champion exhibit, that it was 

 the kind of cheese New Zealand was aiming to produce. It may be also 

 mentioned that the cheese which obtained the champion prize at the 1905 

 Royal Agricultural Show was made when the temperature was no degrees 

 in the shade, and even then a starter was used. Excessive heat is certainly 

 objectionable, but it does not follow that a high temperature is always so. 

 Humidity is of great concern to the cheesemaker for it has been proved that 

 80 degrees is often a more trying temperature to contend with than is 100 

 degrees when at such temperature the air is drier. Any cheesemakcT 

 will tell you that a muggy morning is the worst for successful work. That 

 is generally when the makers in Great Britain at certain times of the year 

 have difficulty in making a really good article. 



The most suitable soil is a calcai-eous one, in other words, a soil con- 

 taining a sufficiency of lime with clean pastures fairly free from rank legu- 

 minous plants. Lucerne fed green is very objectionable. The buttermaker 

 knows this as well as the cheesemaker. I have lately experimented with 

 tainted milk by heating to different degrees of temperature. Time will 

 show whether this treatment has been successful. I beliexe that it has. 

 Even though this experiment turns out satisfactory, it must not make 

 any difference to strict attention being paid to cleanliness from the milking 

 of the CO'W to the completion of the whole process. Cleanliness, as you 

 all know, is of the utmost importance in dairying, and there is no need 

 for me to dilate as to how it should be carried out. 



Probably the most important factor is the ability of the cheesemaker. 

 It has been customary in the past to look upon cheesemaking as merely 

 a matter of adding rennet, applying heat, stirring and keeping time. 

 Never was there a greater mistake. With all due respect to buttermakers 

 the same skill is not required to make butter as for cheesemaking. I have 

 heard of people saying that any person of ordinary intelligence could become 

 a perfect cheesemaker after a fortnight's tuition. No greater fallacy was 

 ever promulgated — a statement with which every one fully conversant with 

 the art of cheesemaking will agree. Cheesemaking is a branch of 



*Paper read at the Fourteenth Annual Conference of the Australasian Butter 

 Factories Managers' Association held Mav 1907, at Melbourne. 



