352 PRACTICAL DETAILS. 



only one hole in the bottom, to lie in the salt. In many 

 places a long trough is used, in which several such 

 moulds are placed to be salted at the same time; and 

 for this either dry salt or pickle (brine, or salt in solu- 

 tion) is used. The pickle is most commonly used, and 

 is thought best. When one side of the cheese has laid 

 some hours in the brine, it is turned, and the other side 

 is also salted. After a while it is salted or turned in 

 the brine but once a day. Small four-pound cheeses 

 remain nine days in hot weather, and in cold ten or 

 twelve days, in the salt ; medium ones of ten to twelve 

 pounds must lie at least three weeks. In very hot 

 weather they are often salted twice a day. The moulds 

 with the salted cheese are placed, several together, into 

 the cheese-vat where the brine is, or on a salting-tray 

 where the brine is collected in a tub beneath. After 

 being finally salted, they are washed perfectly clean 

 with water or warm whey. Many put their cheeses 

 from the brine immediately in a kettle of hot whey for 

 some minutes, and wash them in it. All unevenness or 

 roughness got in pressing in the mould is now scraped 

 off with a knife. 



After the washing, the cheeses are again perfectly 

 dried, and laid on the shelves in the cheese-room, where 

 they are daily turned, and remain from two to four, and 

 even five weeks. The cheese is now salable; but before 

 it is packed or delivered it is laid for some hours to 

 soak in pure, cold spring or well water, the smallest 

 for three hours, the medium four, and the largest five 

 hours. The cheese is then well cleaned with the cheese- 

 brush, laid on the shelf in the store-room, and turned a 

 week or more, daily. But, in order to give them a fine 

 yellow color, in damp weather, especially, the poorer 

 ones are, by many dairymen, laid a good ways apart, 

 and sprinkled or washed daily with new beer. When 



