JUNE.] DAIRY. 377 



and then in such an imperfect state, as to be scarce 

 capable of being confined either in the cheese-vat 

 or press, and when released from the press, will 

 heave, or puff up, by splitting or jointing, accord- 

 ing as the nature or state of the curd happens to 

 be. Whenever people find their cows in this situ- 

 ation, which in hot summer evenings must often 

 happen, especially where water is scarce, or in 

 grounds where there is very little shade ; then it is, 

 that making use of a little cold spring water before 

 earning, or rendling, is useful, as that will make 

 the runnet take effect and the milk coagulate much 

 sooner. It often happens, in some dairies, that the 

 work is quite at a stand : the dairy-woman not 

 knowing how to hasten the coagulum, or coming 

 of the cheese, thinks of putting more runnet in 

 to forward it ; but the nature of runnet being such 

 as will dissolve the curd in part coagulated, if 

 more be put in, disturbs the whole, and prevents 

 its becoming curd at all, or in a very imperfect 

 state, remaining in the whey, in an undigested 

 state that will neither turn to curd or cream, and a 

 principal part of the richest of the milk is then 

 cast away with the whey. Cold water, with a little 

 salt (as hereafter recommended) will, in a great 

 measure, prevent this difficulty. One great point, 

 or thing to be observed in first setting off, or rend- 

 ling the milk, is carefully to observe the state of the 

 milk as to heat or cold : the grand medium, or state 

 it should be in when you put the runnet into it, is 

 what may be properly understood milk-warm ; if you 



find 



