Ch. XXXVII.] ON CHEESE. 419 



In Ireland the butter trade is regulated by Act of Parliament, and the 

 mode in which it is conducted is as follows : — The farmers assemble in the 

 morning-, and have all their casks arranged in the market place ; the coopers 

 then take out the head of each, and the inspector follows, without knowing 

 to whom the casks belong, and marks the character of each with 



/ for the first sort, '^^ for the third, and 



/,# for the second, ^f^. for the fourth sort. 



The coopers then replace the heads, and cut the character upon the side of 

 the firkin, together with the weight and tare of the cask, which is weighed 

 at the market-beam ; after which the farmer proceeds to the sale. This is 

 done in open market, the price being only named for the first quality ; a regu- 

 lar diminution being understood to attach to each of the other sorts. 



The ancient history of butter-making is very imperfectly known ; for, 

 although mentioned in the Scriptures as " being brought forth by the 

 churning of milk," yet it has been asserted that the word " butter," as 

 translated from the Hebrew, should be rendered as " cream." It is not 

 alluded to by any of the Greek writers, nor was it known to the Romans 

 until they were taught how to make it by the Germans ; but this is not 

 to be wondered at, for a warm climate is unfavourable to it, and even at 

 this moment it is only rarely found except in the north of Europe, In 

 England, however, it appears to have been known immemorially, for, 

 when invaded by Julius Ceesar, it was a common food of the islanders ; but 

 the art of making cheese they learned from their conquerors. It, however, 

 seems extraordinary that a people in possession of large herds of kine, 

 could be ignorant of the art of making some sort of cheese from the sour 

 curd with which they must have been acquainted : it is, indeed, described in 

 many ancient authors ; yet no mention is there made of the rennet with 

 which it is now formed, nor is it known when the use of that article was 

 first discovered. 



CHEESE, 



As butter is made from the oily part of the milk, which rises to the 

 surface in the form of cream, so cheese is composed from the curd, or 

 coagulated milk, and may be obtained from the caseous portion alone, after 

 the milk has been skimmed. If thus deprived of the cream, this "skim- 

 milk cheese" is, however, of a poor quality, and, if intended to be good, 

 the whole milk should be used without any loss of cream ; for if any por- 

 tion of it be abstracted, the cheese will [be proportionably less rich : con- 

 sequently, less palatable, and of inferior value. The mode of making too, 

 though in the main points aj^parently the same, yet is subject to more 

 variety of minor details in the practice than that of any thing formed of 

 one material ; and thus many different qualities are brought to market, 

 each bearing some distinct character of its own. That many of those kinds, 

 which are by connoisseurs thought indifferent, might, by other management, 

 be more nearly assimilated to the superior sorts, there can be little doubt ; 

 these peculiarities, however, have in many districts attached a certain degree 

 of value to their flavour, while in others, it would seem to be imparted by 

 the natural grasses grown upon the soil *, This applies more especially 



cover on the boiler, as it must be done by close evaporation. The wood is then dried for 

 use; it becomes closer and more condensed, from the fibres being contracted, and while 

 it continues hot it can be easily brought to any shape.'' 



* See a report on dairy management, with experiments made in consequence of pre- 



2 E 2 



