244 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



Eoyal Agricultural Society. As to the quality of Mr. Nuttall s Stiltons, the numerous prizes, 

 gold cups and medals, received at many fairs and dairy shows, attest their excellence. In 

 1879, Mr. Nuttall was awarded first premium for Stilton at the International Dairy Fair in 

 New York, and also the first and second champion prizes at the dairy show held in 

 Birmingham in 1881. 



The new process discards the idea that Stilton cheese can only be made by the addition 

 of extra cream, or that cream must be taken from the evening s milk and mixed with the 

 new milk of the morning, thus necessitating the making of a large quantity of skim cheese, 

 unless the skimmed milk can be otherwise disposed of. No extra cream is used in its 

 manufacture. The cheese is made from new milk fresh from the cows twice a day, morning 

 and evening, by the most simple and natural process possible. 



&quot;Without going into all the details of manufacture, as practiced in Leicestershire, I shall 

 only allude to some of the leading points in the process as adapted to our factory system. 



The cheese vat is similar to our factory vats that is an outer vat of wood lined with tin, 

 and space between the two for water, and holding about 600 gallons. The milk is set (with 

 rennet) at a temperature of 79 Fah., and a sufficient quantity of rennet is added to perfect 

 coagulation in from l to 1| hours. The rennet should be thoroughly mixed through the 

 milk. The coagulation having been perfected, four persons take their places two on each 

 side of the vat and with small tin bowls, commence removing the mass of curd into cloths, 

 which are placed in tin vessels called drainers. These drainers are six feet long, two feet 

 wide, and six inches deep. 



Iron rods are fastened across the drainers at intervals of 18 inches, on which the sides 

 of the cloth are placed. The drainers are also provided with faucets for drawing off the 

 whey. Two of these drainers are fixed on a frame, two feet apart, one above the other, 

 standing on wheels for easy removal. As soon as these are filled, they are placed on one 

 side of the dairy room, and others take their place. Thus, in the space of about twenty-five 

 minutes, all the curd is taken from the vat, which is at once carefully cleaned. The cloths 

 containing the curd are loosely tied by the four corners, thus allowing the whey to partially 

 separate from it. But it is considered essential that it does not drain off, the old saying on 

 this point of manufacture being that it should wallow in its own whey. 



In about an hour the faucets are turned and the whey is allowed to drain off, when 

 the cloths, after being tightened, are placed close together in a larger drainer, similar in 

 dimensions to the cheese vat. Here they remain 12 hours, when the whey, which by this 

 time has considerably further separated, is allowed to escape; the cloths are again tightened, 

 and the curd having now obtained a considerable amount of consistency is placed in other 

 coolers. 



The curd is in a little time removed from the cloths and cut into pieces. After remaining 

 in this state 12 to 24 hours, it is coarsely ground and the morning s and evening s curds are 

 well mixed, with 6 ounces of finest cheese salt to every 24 pounds of curd. 



It is then put into tin hoops perforated at the sides, and 12 inches deep by 18 inches in 

 diameter. These when filled are placed in a room with a brick floor fitted with shelving, and 

 heated to a temperature of 65 Fah. This causes the whey to exude rapidly, gradually 

 ceasing at the expiration of five or six days. The cheeses are then removed from the hoop 

 and taken into the binding-room where they are smoothed with a knife and bandaged by 

 strong cotton cloth being pinned around them. This smoothing is repeated daily, and dry 

 bandages applied, until the cheeses get firm and partially coated, which generally takes place 

 in about 12 days. 



They are then removed to the drying rooms, which are also kept at a temperature of 65 

 Fah. by means of steam pipes, or cooled by water trickling over the slates from a perforated 

 pipe. The cheese is considered fit for sale at about six months old, when the 24 pounds of 



