18 farmers' bulletin 960. 



distance, who are obliged to dispose of their cheese several days after 

 it is made, and who must pay the additional expense of boxing and 

 shipping. If the cheese is marketed directly upon a small scale it is 

 not necessary to put it into the flat boxes, as is the case if it is han- 

 dled commercially. The cheeses may be disposed of satisfactorily by 

 placing them in one large box and piling one cheese upon another. 

 When cheese of this type is delivered upon a milk route the use of a 

 special box provided with two compartments, one for ice and the 

 other for cheese, is advisable during the warm periods of the year. 

 Pimiento-cream cheese, because of its keeping quality, is particularly 

 adaptable to small-scale operations. When sold in glass jars it is 

 sold as readily as the product of the larger manufacturers. With a 

 direct outlet, arrangements may be made to use the jars again and 

 thereby reduce the cost of marketing. 



When suitably situated it should be practicable for many dairymen 

 to supply cheese to a neighboring town at good prices for their milk 

 and extra trouble. It should be especially feasible for the milk dealer 

 to dispose of his surplus milk in the form of cheese; in fact, in some 

 cases for some of these kinds of soft cheese he would receive as much 

 as or more than for the milk. By beginning in a small way the milk 

 dealer should be able to develop a trade in fancy cheeses, such as 

 cottage, Neufchatel, cream, and pimiento cream, and by selling direct 

 to the consumer he could compete successfully with larger manufac- 

 turers. 



KEEPING QUALITIES OF THE CHEESE. 



When wrapped in foil and put into a cold place immediately after 

 making, cream and Neufchatel cheeses should keep from 6 to 12 

 days without developing objectionable flavors; usually cream cheese 

 seems to keep somewhat better than Neufchatel. If pimiento-cream 

 cheese is placed in the customary jars and held at 50° F. or below, it 

 should be still palatable at the end of a month. These products de- 

 velop a sourish taste rather quickly when held at a high tempera- 

 ture. The temperature, therefore, is by far the most important fac- 

 tor concerned in regulating the keeping qualities of the cheese. 

 There may be considerable variation in both the salt and water con- 

 tent of the cheese without causing much deterioration. 



EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING NEUFCHATEL AND CREAM CHEESES. 



Little equipment is needed for making these cheeses for home con- 

 sumption, and many satisfactory substitutes may be found for that 

 mentioned. "V^Tien the cheese is marketed on a large scale a greater 

 outlay is desirable in order to handle it efficiently. 



Floating dairy thermometer. — The use of a reliable and accurate 

 thermometer is imperative if uniform results are to be obtained. A 



