Ch. XXXVII.] ON CHEESE. 421 



•' Take the maw of a newly killed calf, and clean it of its contents : salt the bag, and 

 put it into an earthen jar for three or four days, till it form a pickle ; then take it from 

 The jar and hang it up to dry, after which it is to be replaced in the jar — the covering 

 of which should be pierced with a few small holes to admit of air; and let it remain 

 there for about twelve months. 



'■ When wanted for use, a handful each of the leaves of sweet-briar, dog-rose, and 

 bramble, with three or four handiuls of salt, are to be boiled together in a gallon of 

 water for a quarter of an hour, when the liquid is to be strained otf and allowed to cool. 

 The maw is then to be put into the liquid, together with a lemon stuck round with 

 cloves, and the longer it remains in it the stronger and the better will be the rennet : 

 half a pint, or less, of the liquor, is sufficient to turn fifty gallons of milk." 



Or, as practised in other parts of the west of England : — 



" When the rennet-bag is fit for the purpose, let two quarts of soft water be mixed 

 with salt, wherein shoidd be put almost every sort of spice and aromatic herb that can 

 be procured, and must boil gently till the liquor is reduced to three pints : it should 

 then be strained clear from the spices, and poured in a tepid state upon the maw, and a 

 lemon may be sliced into it ; when it may remain a day or two, after which it should be 

 strained again, and put in a bottle, where, if well corked, it will keep good for twelve 

 months or more, and give the cheese a pleasing flavour *." 



That stated by Mr. Holland, as being customary in Cheshire, is thus: — 



'* When the maw comes from the butcher, it is always found to contain a chyley, or 

 curd-like matter, which is frequently salted lor present use; but when this chyley matter 

 is taken out, and the skin cleared Irom slime and every apparent impurifj^, by wiping or 

 a gentle washing, the skin is then filled nearly fidl of salt, and placing a biyer of salt 

 upon the bottom of a mug, the skin is placed flat upon it. The mug is large enough 

 to hold three skins in a comse ; each of which should be covered with salt ; and when a 

 sufficient number of skins are thus placed in the mug, it shoidd be filled up with salt, and 

 put, with a dish or slate over it, into a cool place, till the approach of the cheese-making 

 season, in the following year. The skins are then all taken out, laid for the brine to 

 drain from them; and, being spread upon a table, they are powdered on each side with 

 fine salt, and are rolled smooth with a paste roller, which presses in the salt. After 

 that, a thin splint of wood is stuck across each of them, to keep them extended while 

 Ihey are hung up to dry." 



" In making the rennet, a part of the dried maw-skin is, in the evening, previous to 

 its being used, put into half-a-pint of lukewarm water, to which is added as much salt 

 as will lie on a shilling. In the morning this infusion (the skin being first taken out) 

 is put into the tub of milk; but so great is the difference in the quality of these skins, 

 that it is difficult to ascertain what quantity will be necessary for the intended purpose. 

 A piece the size of half-a-crowu, cut from the bottom of a good skin, will commonly be 

 sufficient for a cheese of GO lbs. weight ; though ten square inches of skin are often 

 found too little. It is customary, however, to cut two jneces from each skin : one from 

 the lower, the other from the upper part ; but the bottom end is the strongestf ." 



An improved mode is — " To take all the maw-skins provided for the whole season, 

 pickled and dried as before : put them into an open vessel, and for each skin pour in 

 three pints of spring v;ater; let them stand twenty-four hours, then take out the skins, 

 and put them into other vessels: add for each one pint of spring water, and let them 

 stand twenty-four hours as before. On taking the skins out the second time, gently 

 stroke them down with the hand into the infusion : they are then done with. Mix these 

 two infusions together, pass the liquor through a fine linen sieve, and add to tlie wliole a 

 quantity of salt, rather more than is sufficient to saturate the water; that is, until a 

 portion of salt remains undissolved at the bottom of the vessel. The next day, and also 

 the summer through, the scum, as it rises, is to be cleared off. and fresh salt should be 

 added. Somewhat less than half-a-pint of this preparation will generally be sufficient 

 for 601bs. of cheese ; but, when for use, the whole should be well stirred up|." 



In Scotland, however, it would appear, from Mr. Alton's account of tlie 

 cliicf dairy district in Ayrshire, that so far from washing away the chyle 



* See the Farmer's Series, No. 21; Marshall's Southern Counties; and the Bath 

 Papers, vol. iii. art. xxi. p. IGl. 



f We understand that the veils imported from Ireland are found to be the best. 

 Amongst imported skins, however, those of lambs and pigs are sometimes found, which 

 answer the intended purpose but indifferently. 



+ Cheshire Rep. p. 268. 



