DAIRY. 139 



placed in a boiler and on a moderate fire ; the ren- 

 net is then applied, and the milk stirred without in- 

 terruption. The moment the action of the rennet 

 becomes apparent, the boiler is taken from the fire 

 and the contents left undisturbed. A coagulation 

 soon takes place, when a portion of the serum must 

 be removed, and the remaining portion be left to 

 boil the curd, which is seen floating in distinct par- 

 cels or lumps. The boiler must now be replaced 

 on the fire, and the mass be continually stirred 

 until the curd takes a degree of coherency. When 

 this effect is produced the boiling is complete, and 

 the curds, collected into masses, are taken from the 

 serum and committed to moulds. The press is now 

 employed and the salt applied, as in the preceding 

 directions. During three weeks or a month, the 

 moulds are gently and gradually tightened, and, so 

 soon as a superabundant moisture appears on the 

 surface of the cheese, the salting is discontinued.* 

 Various means have been used to improve the 

 qualities of cheese, besides those employed in the 

 process of fabrication. Though we give little credit 

 to these devices, still, as others may have more 

 faith than ourselves, it may not be improper to men- 

 tion some of them. The most simple and most 

 easily employed are, rubbing them with oil, with 

 butter not salted, with the lees of wine, and some- 

 times enveloping them with linen dipped in vinegar, 

 or in new hay moistened with warm water. An- 

 other, more compounded and not so easily obtained, 

 has fallen within the scope of our reading. It is, 

 given by M. Chazotte, inspector of mines to the 

 Duke of Parma, who says of it " that cheeses the 

 most dry and of the worst quality, if moistened daily 

 for twenty or thirty days with a liquor composed of 

 strong vinegar and alkalized nitre, and which en- 

 tirely resembles the foliated earth of tartar, known 



* This appearance shows that the absorption of salt is com- 

 plete. 



