410 Report on tUe Exhihitiou vf Cheese at Chester. 



:;Oimd in the coat and edges through the season, and numbers of them grow 

 rotten and fall to pieces, notwithstanding every attention." 



In reply to my inquiry respecting uncoloured cheese, Mr. Cor- 

 deroy says : — 



" We do not sell white cheese; but we believe these are made more loosely 

 — to cut more open — for the Manchester market, than the coloured cheese 

 made for London." 



He adds — 



" We want cheese rich, solid, fine-flavoured, true-coloured, firm, sound, 

 handsome, and that will go on to improve for twelve months. How to get 

 it is the problem for the Royal Agricultural Society." 



Mr. Watson says : — 



" I attribute the cause of so many secondary and middling dairies to want 

 of skill in manufacture, unsuitable utensils for the milk, and insufficient 

 buildings for the making ; also to the want of properly-ventilated rooms whilst 

 dr5nng, and especially to the not keeping up a proper temperature (by arti- 

 ficial means) during that process The attention of practical men 



should be directed to the supply of a want which is much felt in Cheshire — 

 that of skilled dairymaids. Many farmers would, I know, fairly remunerate 

 such persons if they could be got. Domestic servants too often change, and 

 some are inexperienced. It is worthy of consideration whether women, or 

 even men, of more mature age, should not be employed where the mistress 

 herself does not make the cheese," 



Mr. W. Tilston, of Liverpool, and of Upton, near Chester, 

 says : — 



" Cheese of late has become very much out of fine sound condition. A 

 complete change seems to have come over the quality and description of 

 cheese the last few years, as it cannot now be kept until a second summer in 

 ^ound condition. This I cannot account for in any other way than by the very 

 prevalent practice of dairymaids now omitting to apply salt externally. This 

 has the effect of hardening the rind, wliich resists the flies and renders the 

 cheese firm, so that they can be handled and moved about when new without 

 damaging them ; whereas, without this application of salt, the cheeses are so 

 exceedingly tender that the most careful and experienced hand can scarcely 

 remove them without a blemish. The fly soon finds out the blemishes, and 

 assists the decomposition which usually takes place.* In Lancashire the 

 cheesemakers frequently trust to external salting only for the care of their 

 cheese." 



With many of the remarks of the judges I quite coincide ; but 

 from the suggestion that 20 cheeses, instead of 4, should be brought 

 to the show, I must differ. I admit that 4 cheeses are scarcely 

 sufficient to represent the quality of a dairy, in which there may 

 be from 200 to 300 made in a year ; but I think it very probable 

 that the cheesemakers would decline exhibiting at all if so many 



* A full description of the cheese fl>i and cheese maggot is given in Stephens' ' Book 

 of the Farm,' and in the ' Rural Gyclopsedia,' by Wilson. Au account of the cheese 

 m>fe may also be found in these publications. 



