New York Agricultural Experiment Station, 25 



by other investigators has been found worse than useless under New 

 York conditions. A fundamental study of the germ causing the 

 disease is now in progress. 



Cheese curing. — Work on this problem is going forward in con- 

 nection with the Chemical and Dairy Departments. The publications 

 of the year have dealt with the influence of the acid-forming bacteria 

 upon the manaufacture and early stages of curing of the cheese. 



It is found that under normal conditions both the activity of the 

 rennet in curdling the milk and the presence of the compounds which 

 give the characteristic texture to the cheese curd are due to the action 

 of the acid-forming bacteria. The rennet plays a part in the first 

 stages of cheese ripening but it can only do this in the presence of 

 an acid reaction. This acid reaction is normally brought about by 

 the activity of the acid-forming bacteria. 



These results may be summed up in the statement that the pres- 

 ence and activity of the acid-forming bacteria is the first requisite 

 to the manufacture of normal cheddar cheese. 



The influence of various factors upon the later stages of curing 

 is now being studied. 



Fermentation of canned peas. — Before the opening of the canning 

 season a circular explaining the true cause of this trouble and giving 

 the lower limit of the heating required to prevent this fermentation 

 was sent to the press and to all canners in the State. 



Observations were continued throughout the season in a large 

 cannery operated in accord with these suggestions. This establish- 

 ment canned a ton of peas in a special experiment to determine the 

 lower limits of temperature and time of heating to insure the destruc- 

 tion of the bacteria under factory conditions, as well as to determine 

 the greatest amount of heating which could be given without injury 

 to the quality of the peas. By this means it was found that there is 

 a considerable range of temperature within which the peas are ren- 

 dered sterile without injury to their quality. 



