SECRETARY'S REPORT. 235 



the salt is added, the curd should be thoroughly stirred, that it 

 may be evenly incorporated with it, and when sufficiently cooled, 

 it is dipped into a hoop, in which a cloth is previously laid, and 

 pressed down with the hands, as put in, to make it as firm as 

 possible, and if more than one cheese is made at a time, an equal 

 quantity should be put into the hoops, to give them uniformity 

 in size. It is then put into the press, and pressed, gradually at 

 first, increasing the pressure for an hour, or an hour and a half, 

 or till sufficiently firm to take out and turn again, put into a dry 

 cloth, into the hoop, then returned to the press, remaining there 

 forty-eight hours, being taken out and turned once in the time. 

 It is then removed to the curing-room, and dressed at first with 

 oil made from the whey butter, it having been highly colored 

 .with annotto, and placed upon a shelf. The cheeses are all daily 

 turned, and dressed with the same material, but not so highly 

 colored. Cheese made by this process is smooth, solid, rich and 

 mellow, not soft, easily handled in the dairy-room, and improved 

 by age, with no leaking of whey, or soft places for flies to 

 revel in. 



I have previously spoken of the importance of havijjg good 

 rennet, and as this is what is invariably used in cheese-making, 

 for coagulating the milk, I will speak more particularly of its 

 preparation. Rennet is the stomach of the calf, as used by us, 

 fattened for veal, and, when killed, the stomach is taken out, 

 the contents partially emptied, and placed in a deep dish, to 

 remain in this state some twelve hours ; it is then stripped 

 through the hands, — not wiped, or washed, — and returned to the 

 plate and covered thickly with salt, to remain twenty-four hours, 

 then turned, and stretched over a bow, applying all the salt that 

 will adhere to it ; adding a plentiful supply, also, to the inside. 

 When sufficiently dried it is removed from the bow, put into a 

 linen bag, or cloth, and kept close from insects of any kind. 

 When required for use, put one skin into two quarts of warm 

 water, rubbing it occasionally. After soaking twenty-four hours, 

 remove it, and add two quarts of strong brine to the liquor ; 

 strain the whole into a vessel that can be covered tight, keep in 

 a cool place, adding salt occasionally, so there will be always 

 undissolved salt at the bottom. Prepared in this way it is 

 always sweet, and of uniform strength, requiring about half a 

 pint to curdle forty of forty-five gallons of milk, in from thirty 



