408 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



and annatto sufficient to give it an orange tint, (one pound, of good quality, 

 buffices for a ton of cheese,) and rennet to curdle it in half an hour, arc then 

 put in and well stirred. The first cutting of the curd waa done by punhing 

 downwards through the mass a square tin frame, dividing into columns of about 

 an inch. The warm water in the outer vat wa.s then drawn off and cold water 

 2)ut in its place. The curd was next further broken by hand, and as it settled 

 a portion of the whey was dipped out and heated to scald the curd of the 

 preceding day. The curd and whey then remaining were dipped into a cloth 

 fctraiuer laid into a wooden frame and sink, from which the whey is can'ied by 

 a pipe to the whey tub in another building. When tolerably firm, the curd 

 was cut in slices with a knife, the cloth diawu closely about ir, and a heavy 

 stone placed upon it. Here it remains for several hours, when it is put away 

 in a large wooden bowl until next day. While the curd of to-day was making, 

 that of yesterday was first cut in slices and then run through the curd mill iu 

 order to divide it finely. This mill consists of a fi-amework holding two 

 cylinders one above the other, both of which, as well as the sides near them, are 

 studded with numerous small, sharp, steel blades, those in the lower cylinder 

 being much closer than in the upper one. The curd thus finely cut was then 

 put into a large tin tub, and the whey, dipped off' for the purpose, having been 

 heated as hot as the hand can bear, was poured over it, and the whole 

 thoroughly stirred with the hands. In about ten minutes the warm whey is 

 removed and cold water poured upon it. As soon as cool, the water is poured 

 off" and the curd salted; thirty-two pounds are then put into a hoop eleven and 

 a half inches in diameter, and moderately pressed for two or three hours. It 

 is then turned, the cloth changed, and again pressed till evening. The cloth is 

 then removed, the edges of the cheese pared, and a cloth and bandage cap of 

 thin unbleached cotton, made for the purpose, covering the whole cheese, put 

 on, when it is returned to receive a heavy pressure for thirty-six hours longer. 

 This makes a cheese seven to eight inches thick and about twelve inches broad 

 Curing requires two or three months, and they are generally sold in the 

 autumn. It would doubtless be improved, and the labor of manufacture greatly 

 lessened, by the substitution of the improved vat, and by cooking the curd in 

 the whey, as in the Herkimer method, in place of the labors of the second day, 

 as above described, carrying the process, however, a trifle further than would 

 be needful to make an article to suit the London market. 



The manufacture of an article less rich than the Litchfield cheese was com- 

 menced during the present year in Orange county. New York, by the factory 

 system, making, at the same time, a considerable quantity of cheese butter. 

 For this purpose the location and buildings are similar to others, except, in 

 addition, there is required a cool cellar and a larger supply of ice. The milk 

 comes from within a moderate distance, not exceeding two and a half miles, and 

 on arrival is poured into tin coolers twenty inches deep and seven wide, which 

 are set in a tank of cold water. The morning's and evening's milk of one day, 

 except in the hottest weather, stand thus until the next morning, when the 

 cream is taken off" and churned and the skimmed milk made into cheese. 

 Whenever practicable, the cream is churned sweet and the buttermilk added 

 to the skimmed milk, which increases the quantity and improves the quality of 

 the product. Ralph's vats are used, and the process of manufacture la in 

 many respects similar to the Herkimer method. The chief differences are, that 

 the skimmed milk is first warmed to about 90", the buttermilk is then added, 

 which somewhat reduces the temperature, and next the coloring and rennet. 

 In cooking, the heat is raised to 98°, but the length of time required is shorter 

 than with whole milk; longer, however, when buttermilk is used than when it 

 is no>t. Usually the curd steeps in the whey only about thirty minutes, as 

 otherwise the product would be too tough and hard. The amount of salt used 

 U one-fourth less than for whole milk cheese, and the curd is salted in the vat 



