Ch, XXXVII.] ON CHEESE. 431 



The North JViltshire, which is also a very ricli cheese, is made in nearly 

 the same manner ; except that the salt is added to the curd, which is broken, 

 or rather crumbled, into the very smallest possible pieces, after the whey 

 has been drained off. It is then frequently shaped into the form of a pine- 

 apple, by being put into a cloth made like a filtering-bag, and hung with 

 the point downwards for twenty-four hours ; after which it is put into a 

 net, and suspended the reverse way, which gives it the desired appearance. 

 It thus, however, is of only small size ; and indeed those round cheeses, 

 which are formed in the mould, seldom weigh more than a very few pounds. 



In Wiltshire also a practice prevails in some dairies of making what they 

 call green cheese, which is done by putting into some milk over night two 

 parts of sage leaves, one of marigold, and a little parsley, which, after being 

 bruised, and thus forming a substance of colouring matter, is afterwards 

 mixed, in such quantities as the maker chooses, with the common curd : no 

 other difference being made in the usual process ; though some housewives, 

 instead of merely colouring the cheese, leave in it the entire vegetable 

 substance. 



STILTON CHEESE, 



which has become proverbial for its richness, was first made near 

 Melton, in Leicestershire, by a relation of the landlord of the Old Bell 

 Inn at Stilton, which gave the name ; and the house being generally 

 resorted to on the Great North Road, brought it into such reputation that 

 it was long sold at the rate of half-a-crown a pound. This, of course, soon 

 occasioned an imitation, and it is now very generally made throughout the 

 counties of Cambridge, Huntingdon, and the immediate neighbourhood ; 

 but, although commonly sold under the name of Stilton, there is yet a con- 

 siderable difference in the quality, and the price has now been reduced to 

 tenpence and a shilling. 



It is made by putting the night's cream, without any portion of the 



skimmed milk, to the milk of the following morning ; but those who 



wish to make it very fine, add a still greater quantity of cream, and of 



course the richness of the cheese depends upon the amount which is 



used. Butter is also said to be sometimes mixed with it. The rennet 



is then added without any colouring ; and when the curd has come, it 



is taken out without being broken, and put whole into a sieve, or 



drainer, where it is pressed with weights until completely cleared of 



whey : when dry it is put, with a clean cloth, into a hooped 



chessart, and placed under the press, the outer coat being first salted. 



When sufficiently firm to be removed from this mould, the cheese is 



placed upon a dry board, and tightly bound in a cloth, which is 



changed daily, in order to avoid all danger of cracks in the skin, until 



this is found to be tolerably well coated ; after which it is no longer 



used, and the cheese requires no further care than being frequently 



turned upside down, and occasionally brushed. 



The cheeses of this kind, although not much larger than the crown of a 



good-sized liat — the form of which they much resemble — and not weighing 



more than about a dozen pounds, yet require nearly two years to bring 



them to perfect maturity, for they are not generally thought sufficiently 



mellowed for use until considerably decayed ; and, in order to forward 



their ripeness, it is said, that besides their being placed indanif), but warm, 



cellars, they are sometimes wrapped in strong brown paper, and sunk in a 



hot-bed. 



We are also told, that the flavour of an old cheese may be communicated 



