J34 Account of the Procefs emphyed 



upon it, to prefs out the whey, which ti raining to the lower 

 lidc of the tilted tub, is laded out into brafe pans. Such 

 parts of the curd as are prciicd from under the board, are cut 

 oft" with a knife, placed under the weighted board, and again 

 prefl'ed. This is repeated again and again, the whey being 

 condantlv laded out as it drains from the curd. The whole 

 inafsofcurd is then turned upfide down, put on the other 

 fide of the tub, again preiled, pared, and preiicd as before. 



The board and weight l)cing removed, the curd is cut into 

 feveral pieces of about eight or nine inches fquare, piled upon 

 each other, and prefled w ith the board and weight, repealing 

 the cutting and piling, as long as any whev drains from it. 

 It fearcelv need be added, tharthe more gently the whole of 

 the bufmefs in the tub is performed, the more perfeft will be 

 the fcparalion of curd and whey. 



The next thing is to break the curd in a brafs pan. After 

 being preifed in the tub as long as anv confiderable quantity 

 of whey drains from it, the curd is cut into nearly three 

 .equal portions; one of which is taken into a brafs pan, and 

 is there, by two women, broken exrecdingly fine. As foon 

 as it is coarielv broken, a lar<re handful of ialt is added, 

 which in the fubfequent breaking is well mixed with the 

 curd; that portion of curd, being fnfficiently broken, is put 

 into a checfe-yat, which is placed to receive it on a cheefcr- 

 ladder over the checfe-tub : the vat is generally furnilhed 

 with a coarfe cheefe-cloth. The fecond and third portions 

 of the curd are treated in the famemtniner, and emptied into 

 the val ; fometimes five or fix times the quantity of ialt is 

 added to tiic middle portion of the curd ; others iaU all alike. 

 The breaking takes up more or lefs time as the chccfe was fet 

 together holt:;r or colder; half an hqur is perhaps the longed: 

 time. 



Thrujj'ing or Hand-preffiyig the Cheefe into the Vat. 



The curd, when put into the cheefe-vat in its broken ftate, 

 is heaped above the vat in a conical form, to prevent it from 

 cruml)lin«x down ; the foi;r corners of the checfe-cloth are 

 turned over it, and three women, placing their hands againll 

 the conical part, gently but {<)rcibly prefs it in nearly a ho- 

 rizontal direiflion, conllantlv fnifiing tlieir hands when anv 

 portion of the curd is ftartiuo; from the mal's, and turning 

 down and folding up the cloth as occafion requires. As foon 

 as the curd adheres tosjcthcr fo as to admit it, a fmall fquare 

 board, with a corner of the cloth under it, is put on the tap 

 of the conical part of the curd, with a 60 lb. weight upon 

 the board. Sever;il iron (k^^wprs iire at this tiuic ftuglc in 



the 



