322 ARGICULTURE FOR COMMON SCHOOLS 



mill. The cut particles must be stirred to keep them from 

 reuniting. 



6. Salting and Pressing. — Salt is added mainly for its 

 effect upon the flavor. * It also aids in making the curd drier 

 and harder. Coarse salt is better than fine salt. It should 

 be uniformly distributed, and the curd stirred until the 

 salt has dissolved. During this time the temperature has 

 been kept up until, at the salting, the curd has a temperature 

 of about 90° F. When the salt is added the curd is spread 

 out and cools off to about 80° F. 



The curd is now put into a press, of which there are various 

 kinds. There is a form made of wood or metal into which 

 the curd is put, after first lining it with cheese-cloth. There 

 is a lid called the follower which fits just inside the form. The 

 pressure is applied to this and it squeezes the curd into a com- 

 pact mass. Pressure is kept up for twenty hours or more. 



7. Curing. — When taken from the press the mass of curd 

 is called green cheese and is now set away to cure. This is 

 done on shelves in a room where the temperature is about 

 65° to 75° F. During the curing process many changes take 

 place which develop the flavor and make the cheese digestible. 

 In four to six weeks th^ cheese may be used, but it is better 

 if more ripening is allowed, and will continue to improve up 

 to three or four months, after which if it is kept in a cool 

 place not too moist the cheese may be kept in good condition 

 for a couple of years. 



What has been said about the process of making cheddar 

 cheese applies in a general way to the making of many other 

 varieties. In all there are said to be over one hundred and 

 fifty kinds of cheese manufactured in America and 'Europe. 

 When a cheese contains a considerable quantity of water it 



