CHEESE-MAKING. 



99 



Cheshire Cheese. 



As the story goes, a West Indian planter, visiting his people 

 in Cheshire, was boasting of the grand fruits he grew in the 

 tropical island. " How often do you grow them ? " asked his 

 host. " Why, once a year," was the reply. The host left the 

 room, and presently returning, bore in his arms a huge cheese 

 from the dairy. "This is the sort of fruit we grow once a day," 

 said he. An object-lesson like that was stronger than argument. 



The cheese of Cheshire, indeed, has a reputation older, per- 

 haps, than that of any other English sort, and not confined to the 



FIG. 21. CHEDDAR OR CHESHIRE CHEESE VAT, FOR STEAM, 



British Islands. It cannot be doubted that a fine old Cheshire 

 cheese is a grand product of the dairy, second only to a fine 

 old Cheddar, if indeed second to that, so far as the British 

 Islands are concerned. Its reputation is not so distinctly pro- 

 minent as was formerly the case, perhaps ; but this is more 

 owing to the advance which other kinds have made, than to 

 any falling away in excellence of quality. 



Some twenty years ago a tale went about the country to the 

 effect that an extensive use of bones as a fertiliser on the pas- 

 tures of the county had greatly injured them for the production 

 of fine cheese. I have reason to believe that the tale was 

 all nonsense, and had no real foundation ; though at the same 



