Goats' Cf>eese.-227 



" I know enough of peasant shyness, or mistrust, to 

 be aware that ' grand'mere ' must be won before she would 

 disclose the secrets of her dairy work, and so it was after 

 five o'clock before I suggested we might look at the beasts, 

 and while mine host and ' le pere ' return with the joy of 

 battle in their eyes to the centime-paring haggle over the 

 butt of wine, grand'mere takes me through a door into 

 the huge stable, knee-deep in litter, in which are stabled 

 horses, cows, sheep, and eight large Alpine goats. 



"Two I coveted, and could have bought for each 

 but for that appendage of our effete civilisation, the Board 

 of Agriculture. I had been asking the yield of various 

 goats all day long, but the casual replies were always two 

 and three litres, and no one ever dreamed of gauging 

 the yield accurately. 



" The daughter joins us with three large jars for milk- 

 ing, and they think it a fine joke when Monsieur offers to 

 milk ' Blanchette,' a large Alpine and a milker all over. 

 Monsieur gives her a piece of bread, rubs her cheek and 

 neck, scratches her head, and as she is munching makes 

 a start, and as she nibbles his ear the steady flow into 

 the big cool jar makes grand'mere exclaim, f Non d'une 

 pipe, mais monsieur aime bien les betes et elles le savent ! ' 



" I have paid my footing, and the mysteries are at my 

 command. Back we troop laden, and the news that Mon- 

 sieur has milked ' Blanchette ' is passed around ; the milk 

 is heated, put back in fresh jars, and the rennet added, a 

 teaspoonful to the litre. 



" Then the morning's brew is taken, and with a flat 

 ladle, full of holes, the curds are put into round tin pots,* 

 full of holes also, about 4in. deep and 4in. wide, and 

 these are placed on a huge sort of soup plate for draining. 



* These little pots are now being made in England, and can be 

 obtained .of W. A. Dallaston, 6, Fyefoot Lane, London, E.G. 



Q 2 



