244 Report of the Chemical Department of the 



the same conditions, because large cheeses have a higher water con- 

 tent after the early period of ripening. 



6. Effect of Salt. — Cheese containing more salt forms soluble 

 nitrogen compounds more slowly than cheese containing less salt. 

 This appears to be due, in part, to the direct action of salt in retard- 

 ing the activity of one or more of the ripening agents, and, in part, 

 to the tendency of the salt to reduce the moisture content of the 

 cheese. 



7. Effect of Different Amounts of Rennet. — The use of increased 

 amounts of rennet-extract in cheese-making, other conditions being 

 uniform, results in producing increased quantities of soluble nitrogen 

 compounds in a given period of time, especially such compounds as 

 paranuclein, caseoses and peptones. 



8. Influence of Acid. — Acid is necessary for the formation of para- 

 casein monolactate, from which soluble nitrogen compounds appear 

 to be formed in normal cheese-ripening; but the exact relation of 

 varying quantities of acid to the chemical changes of the ripening 

 process has not yet been fully studied. 



9. Transient and Cumulative Products of Cheese-Ripening. — 

 Paracasein, caseoses and peptones usually vary within small limits 

 and do not usually accumulate in cheese in increasing quantities but 

 after a while decrease, while amides and ammonia are found to 

 accumulate continuously during the normal ripening process. Low 

 temperatures favor some accumulation of the transient products, 

 while high temperatures favor the more rapid accumulation of amides 

 and ammonia. 



10. Influence of Products of Proteolysis on Cheese-Ripening. — 

 The accumulation of soluble nitrogen compounds in cheese appears 

 to diminish the action of the agents causing the changes, so that 

 cheese ripens less rapidly after the first period. 



11. Why Moisture Affects Cheese-Ripening Process. — An in- 

 creased moisture content in cheese favors more active chemical 

 change for two reasons : ( i ) Moisture in itself favors the activity 



