474 Journal of Agricultiire, Victoria. [10 Aug., 1917. 



The time to mill the curd is not very important. It should, how- 

 ever, be tJioroughly matted, generally for two hours. If the flavour 

 be faulty, mill specially early, and allow it to mellow down longer 

 before salting. Milling also liberates foul gases that at times accumu- 

 late in the curd, due to bad fermentaFions, and togetlier with aeration 

 stimulate the action of the 'ferments which bring about the mellowing 

 process. Should the curd get cold it checks the mellowing down process, 

 and the acid will work very slowly. 



Adding salt is to preserve the curd and to improve the flavour. 

 When salted too soon the lactic acid ferment is checked and gas-forming 

 bacteria allowed to act, which causes the cheese to puff in the curing 

 room. Salt causes the curd to contract and throw off moisture. 



The ripening of cheese is not well understood, but as far as is 

 known it is really a digestive process. 



Th© lactic acid formed from the lactose present makes conditions 

 favorable for the action of pepsin, rennet, and enzyme galactase natural 

 to milk, and these change the insoluble albuminoids into soluble peptones 

 and, in very old cheese, into ammonia, which gives thei characteristic 

 nip to the taste of cheese. If cheese is too sweet or too acid these 

 ferments do not seem to act properly, and the formation of peptones 

 is slow, and the cheese retains a harsh objectionable texture. 



The fat in cheese undergoes no change, except, perhaps, in very 

 old cheese, where some of the fatty acids may become liberated. 



THE MILLING AND BAKINPt QUALITIES OF 

 AUSTRALIAN AVIIEAT. 



(By P. Ranlin Scott, Chemist for AqrioiUiire. and F. G. B. Win-slow, 



Milling Expert.) 



Introductory Remarks. 



Wheat-growing is one of the staple industries of our Cominoiiwealth, 

 the production in New South Wales, South Australia, Western Aus- 

 tralia, and Victoria being approximately four and one-half times greater 

 than the amount required for local consumption, while the snrphis is 

 shipped overseas. To regulate the quality of the wheat exported, a stan- 

 dard of quality is struck each year by the corn section of the Chambers 

 of Commerce of these States. This is kno\^Ti as the fair average quality 

 — F.A.Q. standard — and it is claimed for each year's standard that it is 

 fairly representative of the quality of the wheat grown. The standards 

 fixed are from the average available supply of 135,000,000 bushels, the 

 yield of the separate States heinfir: — Victoria, 50,000.000 bushels; South 

 Australia, 40,000,000; New South Wales, 31,500,000; and Western Aus- 

 tralia, 13,500,000 bushels. (These totals do not include the amount re- 

 tained for seed wheat and chick feed.) The estimated quantity required 

 for home consumption is 30,000,000 bushels, leaving in normal years a. 

 surplus of 105,000,000 bushels for export as wheat or for milling into 

 flour for export. Following the usual custom, a series of tests have 

 been made, in order that any variations in quality, resulting from 



