,Ch. XXXVII.] ON CHEESE. 427 



time, as the cheese was set together hotter or colder ; half an hour is 

 perhaps the longest time. 



The curd, when put into the cheese-vat in its broken state, is 

 heaped above the vat in a conical form : to prevent it from crumbling 

 down, the four corners of the cheese-cloth are turned up over it, and 

 three women, placing their hands against the conical part, gently, but 

 forcibly, press it together, constantly shifting their iiands when any 

 portion of the curd is starting from tiie mass, and folding down tlie 

 cloth upon it. So soon as the curd adheres together so as to admit of 

 it, a small square board, with a corner of the cloth under it, is put on 

 the top with a 60 lb. weight ; or a lever, such as that described at p. 408, 

 is pressed upon it. Several iron skewers are at the same time stuck 

 in the cone, as well as through holes in the side of the vat, from which 

 they are occasionally drawn out and fixed in other spots, until not a 

 drop of whey is discharged. The weight and skewers are then re- 

 moved, and the corners of the cloth are either held up by a woman, 

 or by a wooden hoop, while the curd is broken as small as possible, 

 half way to the bottom of the vat; and the same operation of pressing 

 and skewering is repeated. The women then take up the four corners 

 of the clotli vvhile the vat is drawn away and rinsed in warm whey : 

 a clean cloth is then put over the upper part of the curd, and it is 

 returned inverted into the vat. It is then broken half way through 

 in the same manner as before, which several operations occupy from 

 three to four hours. 



When no more whey can be extracted by these means from the 

 cheese, it is again turned in the vat, and rinsed as before in warm 

 whey. The cloth now made use of is finer and larger than the 

 former, and is so laid, that on one side it shall be level with the edge of 

 the vat, and on the other wrap over the whole surface of the cheese ; the 

 edges being put within the vat, thus perfectly enclosing the entire mass. 

 In this stage of the business the cheese is still higher than the edge of 

 the vat; and to preserve it in due form, recourse is had to a binder, 

 about three inches broad, either as a hoop or as a cheese-fillet, which 

 is a strong, broad, coarse sort of tape, which is put round the cheese, 

 on the outside of the cloth, and the lower edge of the binder pressed 

 down within the vat, so low as that the upper edge of it may be 

 level with the surface. The cheese is then carried to the press, and a 

 smooth, strong board being placed over it, the press is gently let 

 down upon it; the usual power of which is about 14 or 15 cwt. In 

 most dairies, however, there are two presses, and in many three or 

 four of different weights; the cheese being by some put first under the 

 heaviest, and by others under the lightest. 



As soon as the cheese is put into the press, it is immediately well 

 skewered — the skewers being of strong wire eighteen or twenty inches 

 long, sharp at the points and broad at the other end ; the vat and 

 binder having holes, seldom more than an inch asunder, to receive 

 them. As the press always stands near the wall, only one side of the 

 cheese can be skewered at the same time, and it must therefore be 

 turned half-way round, whenever that is necessary ; but this occa- 

 sions no inconvenience, as the skewers must be frequently shifted, and 

 many more holes are made than skewers to fill them. In half an 

 hour from the time the cheese is first put into the press, it is taken 

 out again, and turned, in the vat, into another clean cloth, after which 

 it is returned to the vat ; but is by some persons previously put naked 



