136 AGRICULTURE. 



3d. To increase this last, and more perfectly to 

 discharge the milk from the butter, the latter is 

 again subjected to frequent pressure and washing in 

 cold water, which, readily uniting with the milk, 

 carries it along with it. 



4th. What now remains is to employ the means 

 necessary to its preservation. These are of two 

 kinds; a small portion of common salt, well dried 

 and pulverized, may be wrought into the mass, and 

 distributed as equally as possible; or the fresh mass, 

 subjected to a demi-fusion, will throw up a frothy 

 and feculent matter, which must be carefully taken 

 off, and which, if neither evaporated nor skimmed 

 in this way, nor absorbed by the salt in the other, 

 would produce the rancidity of which we have al- 

 ready spoken. The butter of Prevalais, the finest 

 in Europe, is prepared after this last mode. The 

 secret was long and well kept, but was at length di- 

 vulged by M. Tessier, about the year 1809. 



Of cheese-making. 



The curd of milk is known to be the basis of 

 cheese, and the theory of making this may be brought 

 under three heads. 



1st. Turning the milk, or separating the curd from 

 the other constituents of milk, by a chymical pro- 

 cess, or by permitting it to separate spontaneously. 



2d. Expressing what remains of these from the curd 

 by mechanical means ; and, 



3d. Seasoning the mass, by the introduction of 

 some matter of conservative quality, as muriate of 

 soda, sage, balm, aromatic clover, &c., &c. 



These principles may be much varied, and, under 

 different managements, will produce cheeses of 

 very different species, which may, however, be gen- 

 eralized as follows : 



1st. Those in the fabrication of which the coagu- 

 lation of the milk is spontaneous. This species re- 

 tains a great degree of softness, is peculiarly liable 

 to decomposition, and is therefore used in a shor* 



