THE MICROBE OF CHEESE 97 



The first step in making the cheese is thus com- 

 plete. The second step is purely mechanical. It 

 consists in pressing the cheese. The whey is 

 drawn off from the curd. The curd is then pre- 

 pared for the press. When ready, it is placed in 

 the cheese hoop, and the hoop is adjusted in the 

 press. Sufficient power is applied long enough to 

 press all the particles of the curd closely together, 

 so that they will firmly adhere in one mass. 



The third step consists in ripening the cheese. 

 To say that this is the most important step would 

 perhaps be not quite right, because each of the 

 three is all-important. By omitting any one, no 

 cheese could be made. But the final step is here 

 emphasized because it is wholly the work of mi- 

 crobes. Their work alone gives the cheese its fine 

 flavor, makes it easy to digest, and wholesome. 



As soon as the cheese is taken from the press, it 

 is suitably prepared and put in its right place in 

 the ripening room. Here it should remain until 

 the microbes do their complete work, and the 

 cheese is thoroughly ripe. Many of these microbes 

 come from the milk and along with the curd, and 

 are already in the cheese. Many more come into 

 the cheese from the atmosphere. They all grad- 

 ually multiply until they occupy in great numbers 

 every part of the cheese. Scientists have estimated 

 that every gram of the cheese, when in its fully 

 ripening process, contains from 880,000 to 5,600,- 

 000 microbes. This means that each pound of the 

 cheese then contains from 400,000,000 to 2,680,- 



