CHEESE. 283 



fore salting. If a fast-curing cheese is wanted we use two 

 pounds per hundred pounds of curd; two and a half pounds 

 are used for a medium cheese, and three pounds for a slow- 

 curing cheese. The curd should be spread out at an even 

 th'ickness and the salt applied evenly. It should then be 

 thoroughly stirred several times. 



As soon as the harsh feeling has left the curd it is ready 

 to go to press. The screw should be turned slowly, but 

 fast enough so that a stream of brine is kept flowing. The 

 full pressure should not be applied for ten minutes. In an 

 hour the bandages can be turned down, and full pressure 

 is then applied. The continuous-pressure gang-press made 

 by D. H. Burrell and Co., is the most satisfactory, as the 

 cheese will not loosen during the night. The next day the 

 cheese are placed on the shelves and the rinds greased. 

 They should be turned and rubbed every day. The tem- 

 perature of the curing-room should be 60° to 65° F. , and 

 moisture should be supplied in dry weather. The cheese 

 are boxed and shipped in about a month. 



B. Cheese Made on the Farm, 



For a farm dairy it will be much easier to make up 

 sweet-curd cheese than sour-curd cheese, described in the 

 preceding. For this purpose it is necessary to have a curd- 

 knife, a cheese-vat, and a cheese-press; the method of pro- 

 cedure is as follows : 



The milk, which must be clean and sweet, is heated to 

 90° F., and if any artificial color is required it is added at 

 this time. Set the milk with enough rennet extract to co- 

 agulate in 20 to 30 minutes. About four ounces of Hansen's 

 rennet extract per looo lbs. of milk will prove a sufficient 

 amount. 



As soon as the curd will break over the finger cut it 

 fairly fine ; then raise the temperature one degree in 3 

 minutes until 108° F. is reached, at the same time stirring 

 carefully to keep the curd particles apart. Hold at 108° F. 

 till the curd is firm, that is, till the pieces do not feel mushy. 

 Then draw the whey and stir till the whey is well drained 

 out. Salt at the rate of 2^ lbs. of salt to 100 lbs. of curd, 

 and when the salt is well worked in, put it to press. The 

 cheese should be cured in a room (preferably a cellar) 



