246 



PRACTICAL DAIRY BACTERIOLOGY 



over the neighboring countries in Europe. An attempt has 

 also been made to manufacture them in America, but hitherto 

 with only partial success. 1 While it has been possible to manu- 

 facture cheeses with the same qualities as Camembert, it has 

 hitherto been impossible to do so with sufficient uniformity to 

 make the industry a perfect success. The 

 reason for the lack of uniformity is 

 quite easy to understand when one has 

 a knowledge of the real nature of the 

 ripening. 



The ripening of the Camembert cheese, 

 the best illustration of this type, has 

 been so thoroughly studied that it is 

 fairly well understood. The first phe- 

 nomenon that occurs is the souring of 

 the curd, which is brought about by a 

 Bad. lactis acidi type of organism. 

 FIG. 63 PENICILLIUM CA- These grow in the milk previous to the 

 MEMBERTI addition of the rennet, although the milk 



Showing method of form- 

 ing spores (Thom.) is not allowed to become very sour be- 

 fore curdling. But they continue to grow 



during the curdling and for a day or two after the cheese is 

 made. If by any chance the lactic bacteria fail to develop 

 vigorously, a ruined cheese is sure to result. 



The second step in the ripening is the appearance on the 

 surface of the cheese of a species of mold, which has been 

 named Penicillium camemberti. 2 (Fig. 63.) This mold appears 

 in from two to four days and is, at first, of a pure white color ; 

 later, when it begins to produce spores, it becomes a steel 

 gray, but never a deep blue like the common mold. (Fig. 64.) 

 It is a species of mold that apparently does not occur in 



1 Conn, Thom and others. Ann. Rep. Storrs Exper. Sta., 1905. 



Thom. Ann. Rep. Storrs Exper. Sta., 1905. 

 -Thom. Ann. Rep. Storrs Exper. Sta., 1905. 



