New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 219 



ence in quality was confined in most cases to flavor and texture, the 

 color and finish being little or not at all affected in cheese that was 

 in good condition at the beginning. 



(5) Effects of Covering Cheese with Paraffin. — The commercial 

 qualities of the cheese were favorably influenced after 6 months in 

 the case of those covered with paraffin, especially flavor. The loss 

 of moisture was greatly lessened, amounting only to a fraction of a 

 pound for 100 pounds of cheese at 40° F. and 50° F., and being only 

 about one-fifth the average loss found at 60° F. with cheese not so 

 treated. The cheeses were also perfectly clean and free from mold, 

 while all the cheeses not treated with paraffin were covered with 

 mold. 



(6) Some Practical Applications. — Curing cheese at low tempera- 

 tures increases the amount of cheese to sell, by preventing loss of 

 moisture, and covering cheese with paraffin increases still more the 

 yield of marketable cheese. This saving amounts to several dollars 

 a ton. Also, the improved quality of cheese cured at low tempera- 

 tures enables such cheese to bring a higher market price. 



(7) Results of Chemical Analysis. — The amount of certain water- 

 soluble nitrogen compounds in cheese, such as caseoses, peptones, 

 amides and ammonia, is used as a means for measuring chemically 

 the degree of ripeness in cheese. The amount of water-soluble 

 nitrogen compounds increases with the age of cheese and with the 

 temperature at which the cheese is cured. 



