185 TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY REPORT. 
three years concerning the conditions affecting weight lost by cheese 
in curing. 
In 1902 experiments*! in curing cheese at different temperatures 
were undertaken in cooperation with the United States Department 
of Agriculture. During all our work extensive studies were also 
made of conditions affecting chemical changes in cheese-ripening.?!* 
We will present a summary of the results of our work under follow- 
ing divisions: 
1. Conditions affecting weight lost by cheese in curing. 
2. Commercial experiments in curing cheese at different tem- 
peratures. 
3. Conditions affecting chemical changes in cheese-ripening. 
4. Some practical applications of the results obtained in studies - 
of cheese-ripening. 
1. CONDITIONS AFFECTING WEIGHT LOST BY CHEESE IN CURING. 
It is well known among cheesemakers that cheese begins to lose 
weight immediately from the time it is taken from press and placed 
upon the shelves of the curing-room; this loss continues indefinitely. 
While there has been some study in Europe relating to the con- 
ditions and extent of loss of weight in cheese-curing, the results 
thus obtained are not generally applicable to the conditions prevail- 
ing in this country. Some study of this question had been made 
in America, but it had been rather desultory in character, lacking in 
systematic plan and thoroughness, and under circumstances not 
permitting careful control of conditions. 
The loss of weight in cheese during the process of curing under 
proper conditions may be regarded for practical purposes as being 
due entirely to the evaporation of water from the cheese. Of 
course, the mechanical loss of fat by exudation from cheese kept 
at high temperatures must be considered, but with proper control 
of temperature such loss will not take place. The small amount 
of loss due to the formation and escape of carbon dioxide and 
other gases from cheese can be neglected for practical purposes. 
The rapidity and extent of loss of moisture in cheese during the 
process of curing vary with several conditions, chief of which are 
the following: 
(1) The percentage of moisture originally present in the cheese. 
(2) The texture of the cheese. 
* Bul. 234. 
= Bul. 236: 
