32 West Country Cheeses. 



drainage water can lie (undisturbed). Pure milk will always 

 acquire taint in an impure dairy. The produce of tainted milk 

 is considerably less in quantity, as well as inferior in quality. 



W. J. Grant. 



Monmouthshire Agricultural Education Office, 

 Newport, Mon. 



3.— DORSET BLUE CHEESE. 



Dorset Blue, or Blue Vinny as it is sometimes called, 

 belongs to the group of hard pressed cheeses, and derives its 

 name in the first place from the name of the county where it 

 was first made, and secondly from the blue mould which 

 develops as the cheese ripens. 



It was first manufactured in the western part of the county, 

 and still at the present time this is where it is principally pro- 

 duced, chiefly in the districts around Dorchester and Bridport. 



Of its origin little seems to be known, but no doubt it has 

 been made in these districts for centuries. Personally I can 

 trace back its production in my own family for the past 150 

 years, and in all probability it was produced long before then. 



Formerly the means adopted for its manufacture were of a 

 very primitive description. For instance, in my own experi- 

 ence, the milk would be heated in the kitchen boiler or in a 

 crock hung over a wood fire, pieces of the veils or calves 

 stomach used, being put into the milk to coagulate it. The 

 washing-tub had to serve the purpose of cheese-tub as well, and 

 temperatures were judged by the sense of feeling, thermometers 

 being little known. Heavy Aveights were placed on the cheeses 

 to press them in some cases, whilst in others the old stone 

 presses were used. Some of these are still to be found. I 

 came across some good specimens recently in the Isle of Wight 

 whilst lecturing there. A block of stone weighing some 5 or 

 6 cwt. is fitted into a frame ; to the top of the stone a stout 

 rope is fixed ; this is run through an overhead pulley and 

 connected to a small windlass, the raising and lowering process 

 being effected by means of hand-spikes. At the present time 

 up-to-date appliances are to be found in most dairies, whilst 

 scientific methods have taken the place of the old rule of 

 thumb practices. 



Formerly Dorset Blue was made only from hand-skimmed 

 milk. After the milk had been set in shallow vessels and 

 allowed to stand for twenty-four hours, the cream was removed 

 with a skimmer, the process being known as hand-skimming. 

 In dairies where the best varieties of this cheese are made this 

 practice is being still maintained. The skim milk, containing 



