418 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF I ACTS. 



in which its use is to be preferred to either tea 

 or coffee." 



CHEESE. 



Cheese is obtained exclusively from the milk 

 of animals, arid its quality varies with the 

 class, breed, and food of the animal, and the 

 process of manufacture. The most ordinary 

 source of cheese is the milk of the cow, and 

 there are certain varieties of cows which pro- 

 duce much cheese and little butter, as there are 

 others which produce much butter and little 

 cheese. The kind of food given to the cows is 

 very important, for just in proportion to the 

 richness of the milk in casein and cream is the 

 richness of the cheese. The value of cheese 

 as an article of diet- has not been entirely es- 

 tablished. If we consider its chemical compo- 

 sition, it is one of the richest of foods in nutri- 

 tive elements ; but Dr. Smith has found that 

 the popular belief that it is not easily digested 

 is true. This objection, however, applies only 

 to the new and poor cheese ; those that are old 

 and rich not only digest easily, but promote 

 the digestion of other food. That which is 

 old and dry (but not decayed) may be given to 

 children to relieve constipation. 



VARIETIKS IN MARKET. 



The following cheeses can generally be 

 found in American markets. It is best to take 

 the advice of a reliable dealer regarding the 

 quantity of any cheese that it is wise to lay in 

 at a time. 



Strong, in this list, means of a high flavor 

 and odor, but not necessarily sharp. Most 

 new cheeses are relatively mild, and develop 

 their characteristics, especially sharpness, with 

 age. 



American and Canadian Cheeses. 

 Pineapple, English Dairy (imitations of), Fac- 

 tory, and the homemade Cottage cheese, like the 

 Schmeer Kiise of the Germans. None of these 

 are classed among strong cheeses. They are 

 good all the year around, but the Cottage is 

 best in summer. 



English Cheeses (Of variable strength, 

 sometimes sharp). Stilton comes first in fame 

 and price. It is so named from the place 

 where it was first sold. The cheeses are mostly 

 manufactured in Leicestershire. It takes two 

 years to properly mature the cheese for use ; 

 then it becomes decayed, blue, and moist. It 

 is a common trick to hasten its maturity by 

 putting each separate cheese in a bucket and 

 covering it with horse dung. This rapidly 

 gives the required appearance of maturity. 



In a district of Ross-shire they ripen their 

 cheeses to make them like Stilton, by burying 

 them below high water mark. 



Cottenham A strong kind of Stilton. 



Cheddar (Mild) Made from new milk, re- 

 taining its natural cream. 



English Dairy (Medium). 



Dutch Cheese. Dutchman'* Ih-ail or 

 Edam (Medium). Not equal to the best 

 cheeses of England, being hard. 



French Cheeses are generally for winter 

 consumption, and come to us only from Octo- 

 ber to May. 



Brie Cheeses (Mild). Are made from cream. 



Camembert (Strong) A little like the Swiss. 



Mont d'Or (Mild). From Central France. 

 Made from goats' milk. 



Pont de Salu (Very strong). 



Pont d'Eveque (Mild). A very pleasant 

 cheese. More flavor than Brie. 



Roquefort (Medium and sharp). Made from 

 the milk of goats and sheep, and ripened with 

 great care in caverns. 



Solferino (Strong). 



German Cheeses. Limburger (very 

 strong). Not considered ready for consump- 

 tion until partly putrefied. 



Schabzieger or Sap Sago Which gets its 



green color from melilot leaves. 



Italian Cheeses. Livarno (Strong), Par- 

 mesan (Medium slightly sharp). * From the 

 most fertile Milanese territory ; they are so full 

 of oil that it has been erroneously supposed that 

 oil was added to the curd. It was formerly 

 supposed to be made from goat's milk, but it 

 is made merely of skimmed cow's milk manip- 

 ulated in a peculiar way. The best Parmesan 

 is kept three or four years, and none is sent to 

 market until it is at least six months old. 



Scotch Cheese. (Dunlop.) Which gets 

 its flavor from lovage leaves, is the only one 

 known here. 



Swiss Cheeses. Gruyere is the best of the 

 Swiss cheeses, many of which are celebrated. 

 It is made in the canton of Fribourg. Its pecul- 

 iar flavor is said to be owing to the herbage of 

 the mountain pastures on which the cows feed. 



Neufchatel (Variable). Is sold in small 

 rolls, covered with tin foil; it is simply a 

 cream cheese such as is described above. 



CARE OF THE EYES. 



A writer on the care of the eyes, in an Eng- 

 lish paper, says : " All are anxious to do this, 

 but few know how effectually to do so, and 

 many never think of the matter till failing 

 eyesight warns them that it is absolutely neces- ' 

 sary. By the latter," says the same writer, 

 "the following suggestions will be read with 

 interest : 



" The sight in most persons begins to fail 

 from forty to fifty years of age, as is evidenced 

 by an instinctive preference for large print ; a 

 seat near the window for reading is selected; 



