Goats' Cheese. 223 



to the stomach. This is scraped off, and the cheeses are 

 replaced in heaps as before for a fortnight, when they are 

 separated and ranged in rows on their sides, and apart 

 from each other. In this position another coating of a 

 different kind forms upon them, which, after being scraped 

 off, is soon followed by a third, white and blue in colour, 

 and subsequently a fourth, this time white and red, both 

 being removed as before. The manufacture of the Roque- 

 fort is at this stage regarded as complete, though a 

 scraping process takes place every two or three weeks 

 whilst the cheeses are in the caves, and until they are sold. 



These caves play an essential part in the successful 

 manufacture of this cheese. They are for the most part 

 naturally-formed grottoes in the calcareous rocks or moun- 

 tains which surround the village of Roquefort, and are full 

 of fissures, through which constant and strong currents of 

 air blow, producing an icy coolness in the place an 

 important feature. The various rooms in which the 

 different processes are carried on are built over these caves. 



It should be stated that at the present day the mixture 

 of goats' milk in the manufacture of Roquefort cheese is 

 less practised than formerly, partly, it is said, on account 

 of the comparative scarcity of goats' milk for the purpose, 

 and partly because it is found that cheese made solely 

 from ewes' milk keeps better. Something like 650,000 

 sheep are pastured in the neighbourhood of Roquefort for 

 this industry, and, having been bred for years specially 

 for the purpose, their milking qualities have greatly 

 improved, the yield from some of these animals being 

 nearly equal to that of a good goat. 



MONT D'OR CHEESE. Compared with the cheese 

 mentioned above, Mont d'Or is but little known in this 

 country, though a great favourite in France, particularly 

 about Paris and Lyons. These cheeses are thus made : 

 The morning's milk is placed in earthenware pans. 



