CHEESE. 123 



continued pressure of a weight. The rennet, which is used 

 to coagulate the milk, is the fourth stomach of a calf. When 

 no rennet is found of sufficient strength to curdle the milk, 

 various plants have been used for the purpose ; in England 

 the Yellow Ladies' Bedstraw (Galium verum) has been sub- 

 stituted, and in Spain the Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus). 

 A strong infusion is made in the evening of the down of the 

 Cardoon, and in the morning it is ready for use. Half a pint 

 of the infusion is sufficient to produce coagulation in fourteen 

 gallons of new milk. 



The substance of the rennet is increased by feeding the 

 calf largely with milk some hours before slaughtering. In 

 taking the stomach from the newly killed calf, only foreign 

 substances should be removed; the chyme and coagulated 

 milk, of which it chiefly consists, should be undisturbed. 

 A few handfuls of salt are to be put into the stomach and all 

 around it, and then, after being rolled up, it should be hung 

 near the fire to dry ; and if 'hung up a year or more before 

 it is used, its quality is improved. It is the gastric juice of 

 this rennet which produces coagulation. 



Says Professor Low : " When the rennet is prepared for 

 use, it is cut into small pieces, and put into a jar with a 

 handful or two of salt. Water which has been previously 

 boiled and cooled again is then poured upon it, and allowed 

 to remain for two or three days. It is then drawn off, and 

 sometimes a second infusion is made, but with a smaller 

 quantity of water ; this also remains a few days, and being 

 withdrawn, the two liquors are mixed together, strained 

 through a cloth, and put into bottles, to be used when re- 

 quired. The quantity of this rennet to be used is to be 

 regulated by the strength of the infusion ; it should be only 

 enough to have the milk curdled in an hour. If a sufficient 

 quantity of new milk is procured at one milking to make a 

 cheese, it is used as soon as it can be strained ; but if not 



