244 SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF CHEESE-MAKING 



that milk-fat performs in cheese, that of imparting 

 smoothness of feeling, mellowness of body, rich- 

 ness and delicacy of taste and palatability. Bear- 

 ing on this particular point, the late Henry E. 

 Alvord makes the following statement (Yearbook 

 of U. S. Dept. of Agr., 1895, p. 471) : "Other things 

 being equal, a cheese containing a large percentage 

 of fat is better, because, first, of finer flavor and 

 taste; second, of its better consistency; third, of its 

 improved aroma ; fourth, of its increased digestibility ; 

 fifth, of its more perfectly answering the requirements 

 of a complete food or 'balanced ration/ " In this 

 connection, it is interesting to learn that in Germany 

 the custom of selling cheese according to the per- 

 centage of fat contained in it is rapidly coming into 

 use. 



While the view expressed above is very generally 

 held and is based upon experimental work, there 

 have been no extensive commercial opportunities for 

 demonstrating the matter in a systematic way. 

 But some valuable facts bearing on this point in a 

 most " direct and practical form have just been 

 developed in the four Wisconsin cheese-scoring 

 contests held during April, May, June and July, 

 (1908). The facts are all the more interesting be- 

 cause they are merely incidental to the general pur- 

 pose of these contests. The method of conducting 

 these competitive tests in Wisconsin cannot be too 

 highly recommended to other states, especially be- 

 cause very full details are given, unusual under 

 such circumstances, making the work of peculiar 

 value in enabling one to study relations existing 



