Report on the Exhibition of Cheese at Chester. 41 7 



some, injurious by others, and are said not to be present on four 

 of the farms. [The answers on this point are, with one exception, 

 very unsatisfactory, and clearly show that little or nothing: is 

 known as to the effect of this herbage on cheese-making. My 

 own opinion is that both ought if possible to be extirpated.] 



(8.) The milk is kept by eleven of the thirteen in tin ; by one 

 in tin and brass, and by one in earthenware. 



(9.) Two meals' milk used in making each cheese. 



(10.) The heat at which the milk is coagulated is stated by 

 No. 36 to be 75° ; by No. 4, 78° to 80° ; by No. 6, 78° to 80° ; 

 by No. 116, 75°, and a little warmer in cold weather; and by 

 No. 98, 80° in summer, and as high as 86° in spring and autumn, 

 and 90° in cold weather. 



(11.) Means are rarely used to keep up the heat of the milk or 

 curd in the cheese tub. 



(12.) In eight instances the old (or night's) milk was put to 

 the new, and in five the new to the old. 



(13.) Eleven used the wire-breaker, two the hands. 



(14.) Tlie description of the process of cheese-making is im- 

 perfectly given by all except one, and as his account is long, 

 and varies but little from that given by myself in the Essay pre- 

 viously referred to, I do not consider it necessary to repeat it here. 



(15.) The salt is chiefly applied to the curd by taste ox f/uess ; 

 even where quantities are given, they cannot, I think, be relied 

 on, except in the case of Mr. Briscoe, Avho states that he uses 

 2 lbs. to an 80-lb. cheese. One party says that 4 lbs. are used 

 to a 60-lb. cheese,* and another that ten single handsful [about 

 1| lbs.] are used for a cheese of that weight. The salt is applied 

 when most of the whey has been extracted, and when the curd is 

 being broken by hand or by the curd-mill. 



(16.) Curd-mills for breaking the curd are used by seven ; 

 six break by hand, 



(17.) Eight use lever presses ; five do not. Some apply no 

 weight the first day, others very little, and the rest from 10 lbs. 

 to 30 lbs. The weight is increased the second day. On the 

 fourth day Mr. Palin applies 10 cwt., and afterwards a ton. Mr. 

 Willis does not state his weights, but his three heaviest cheese 

 presses are not more than \ a ton each, if so much. 



(18.) The process of cheese-making is stated to occupy from 

 five to six hours. 



(19.) Eight used skewers [to create drains for the discharge of 

 the whey J, five dispensed with them. 



* This must have been stated from guess, and must be erroneous. The flavour 

 of the three lots of cliL-ese shown by the ladj- who gives this answer indicates a 

 much smaller quantity. 



