140 AGRICULTURE 



which is still living on milk alone. The 

 glands are most active whilst digestion is 

 going on, therefore the calf should be killed 

 two or three hours after it has had a good 

 meal. The rennet stomach or " veil " is then 

 carefully removed and cleaned, but it must 

 not be washed. After which it is salted and 

 dried, ready for use. "Veils" keep best 

 when tied up in bundles and hung in a dry 

 airy place. To prepare the extract, they are 

 soaked in warm water containing a little salt 

 until the active principle is thoroughly removed 

 from them. The extract is afterwards filtered, 

 and salt and a little saltpetre are added as 

 preservatives. 



Formerly it was the custom amongst 

 cheesemakers to manufacture their own 

 rennet, but this is no longer necessary or advis- 

 able, as the commercial rennet is now in every 

 way superior, being uniform in strength, free 

 from taint, and of a much better keeping 

 quality ; good points which cannot, as a rule, 

 be claimed for the home-made article. 



