428 THE FARMER'S AND 



consist in its great richness, together with the mildness of 

 its flavor, and that smooth, waxy texture which makes it 

 cut, even in thin slices, without crumbing as Cheshire 

 cheese is apt to do. Its oily matter is retained in toasting, 

 by softening without being burned. 



Stilton Cheese. This, from its peculiar richness and 

 flavor, has been called the Parmesan of England. Its 

 name is derived from having been the first made at Stilton 

 in Leicestershire, though it is now manufactured very 

 generally throughout the counties of Cambridge, Hun- 

 tingdon, Rutland, and Northampton. It is made by adding 

 the cream of one day to the entire milk of the next. The 

 cheeses are all of a size, from six to eight pounds weight, 

 and are of a cylindrical form, made in a deep vat, and are 

 not considered to be sufficiently mellow until they are two 

 years old, nor ripe until they exhibit spots of blue in the 

 interior, marking the commencement of decay. It is said 

 that some keep them in warm damp cellars to accelerate 

 the ripening. The blue part is of a peculiar nature, dif 

 ferent, it is said, from the common blue mould of cheese. 

 The decay should not be advanced beyond a certain point. 

 A variety of Stilton, but not so rich or of so fine a flavoi 

 as the last, is made in a net, and of the form of a pine 

 cone, the net impressing lines on its surface. 



Cottenham Cheese, made near a town of that name in 

 Cambridgeshire, is a thicker kind of cream cheese than 

 Stilton. Its superior delicacy and flavor are attributed to 

 the fragant herbage on the commons where the cows are 

 pastured. 



Sage Cheese, called also green cheese, is made chiefly 

 in the vales of Gloucester and Wiltshire, by coloring 

 some curd with bruised sage, marigold leaves and parsley, 

 and mixing this with some uncolored curd ; the whole is 

 then made into a cheese, which, of course, exhibits a mot- 

 tled appearance. 



