36 West Country/ Cheeses. 



not get the cheese to stand, as they did not know how to 

 develop the proper amount of acidity, or to vary it according 

 to the richness of the milk. The principal markets were 

 London and, locally, Chippenham and Marlborough. Cheese 

 was made nearly all the year round, the year's " make " being 

 sold to factors. 



Three soi'ts of cheese were made — thin cheese, broad thick, 

 and loaf cheese. 



The two first were generally sold in London as single and 

 double Gloucester respectively. The loaf, which sold for 15s. 

 or 20s. more per cwt., required more skill and labour, and was a 

 much better cheese. This was the product sold as North Wilts. 



Every maker seems to have had her own recipe, and even at 

 the present day there is no recognised method of manufacture, 

 Wilts cheese still being made by the old-fashioned rule of 

 thuml), instead of by the modern and scientific methods 

 employed in Cheddar cheese-making. 



The old process of manufacture of North Wilts cheese was 

 as follows : — The night's milk was strained into the cheese tub, 

 or was sometimes spread over leads. Li the morning the cream 

 was skimmed off and made into butter. The warm morning's 

 milk was added to the skimmed night's milk, and colouring 

 matter put in. Annatto was used even then, but instead of being 

 prepared ready for use in liquid form it was sold in a cake, and 

 had to be ground up, and mixed with a small quantity of milk 

 before being added to the whole. 



The rennet was then put in, enough to coagulate all the 

 milk in one hour. Home-made rennet, made from veils soaked 

 in whey and flavoured with sweet herbs, Avas used. The curd 

 was cut or broken with the hand, or a flat dish, and stirred 

 until firm enough. The whey was then drawn off, the curd 

 broken up again with the hand, put into a vat lined with a 

 coarse cheese cloth, and put into a press. It was taken out 

 again in a few hours, turned and put back into the press in a 

 dry cloth. Some makers kept the cheese under the press for 

 eight days. After remaining in the press for about three days 

 to allow the acidity to develop, the cheese was salted by rubbing 

 salt on tlie outside at the times of turning. The cheeses were 

 generally put into press by eleven o'clock in the morning, and 

 the principal labour consisted in turning and changing after- 

 wards. 



At the present day very little North Wilts cheese is made ; 

 its place has been taken by Cheddar, which is a more popular 

 cheese, and one which commands a readier sale. 



The small quantity made sells best in Leicester and in the 

 Midlands, although in former days Chippenham was the 



