1342 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOR. 



making of fancy cheese. The chief things to observe in the care of 

 milk are: Have good health j cows, fed on clean food, which does not taint 

 the milk. (Turnips, turnip tops, rape, api)les, apple pomace, brewers 

 grains, etc., should not be fed to cows producing milk for cheese mak- 

 ing or any other fine dairy products.) As soon as milked the milk 

 should be strained into cans. When the cows are all milked, place the 

 cans of milk in a tank of cold water and stir until the milk is below 70% 

 at which temperature it may be left for the night, except on Saturday, 

 when it should be cooled to near 50'', if it is to be sent to the factory on 

 Monday morning. The morning's milk should also be cooled, if possi- 

 ble, and should not be mixed with the evening's milk until it leaves for 

 the factory. Be sure that the atmosphere is pure in which the milk 

 sets over night. The cows should also be milked in a clean, pure at- 

 mosphere. After the milk reaches the factory coloring is added, as 

 soon as the weight of milk in the vat is known, if colored cheese are 

 made, though white or uncolored cheese are more wholesome, and there 

 is a growing demand for uncolored cheese. The coloring commonly 

 used is made from Annato seed, though many colors are now made from 

 the by-})roducts of gas manufactories. 



The milk is then heated to 86° by means of steam turned under the 

 vats of milk. When the milk is ripe, which is ascertained by means of 

 a rennet, or an acid test, the milk is set by adding from three to five 

 ounces of rennet extract per 1000 pounds of milk. When the curd is 

 firm it is cut once with a horizontal knife and twice with a perpendicular 

 knife. The curd will then be in the form of cubes from three-eighths 

 to five-eighths of an inch in size. The curd is then gently stirred and in 

 about ten minutes heat is applied by means of steam. The curd is kept 

 in motion by the hands, by means of a rake, or by machinery until the 

 whole mass of curd and whey reaches a temperature of 98°, when the 

 steam is shut off, but the stirring continues for some time. When the 

 curd is firm and the acid begins to develop, as indicated by the hot iron 

 test, or the acid test, the .whey is run from the curd, which process is 

 known as "dipping." After dipping, the curd is stirred and then 

 allowed to "mat" or "cheddar." The curd is afterwards cut in strips 

 about six inches wide and three to six inches thick and })laced on racks 

 covered with a cloth for the whey to drain. When the curd becomes 

 "meaty" it is put through a knife mill and cut in strips about the size 

 of a finger. These strips of curd are stirred often enough to keep them 

 from matting together, and also to improve flavor and texture of the 

 cheese. 



