4 Composition of Cheese. 



subjects for investigation for the current year. During the 

 last ten months I and two of my assistants have been almost 

 exclusively occupied with the analytical work demanded by a 

 thorough investigation into the principles of cheese-making. At 

 the same time I have spent between four and five weeks at dif- 

 ferent times in visiting the dairies of Gloucestershire, Wilts, 

 Somersetshire, Warwick, Stafford, and part of Cheshire ; and I 

 purpose paying another visit to Cheshire and Derbyshire in the 

 ensuing summer vacation. This Paper will embody some of the 

 practical conclusions to which I have arrived, partly from my 

 visits, and partly from my investigations. 



The first point to be observed is, that cheese is often spoiled 

 (to use an Irishism) before it is made that is, before it is 

 separated from the milk : in other words, the milk is spoiled. 

 Then the cheese is spoiled during the making, and also in the 

 keeping. Again I have learned that richer cheese may be made 

 on some land, even when a portion of cream has been taken from 

 the milk, than on other land where the whole milk is used. 

 3rd. I concur with our best and most intelligent cheese-makers 

 in the opinion, that good saleable, though perhaps not very fine- 

 flavoured, cheese can be made on any description of land, pro- 

 vided proper care and attention are paid to the management of 

 the milk at the beginning, to the treatment of the cheese in the 

 tub, and to its after ripening. 4th. From all I could learn practi- 

 cally, and from what I have seen with my own eyes, I have come to 

 the conclusion that bones improve the quality of the pasture and the 

 richness of the milk, but also that more care is required to make 

 cheese from boned-pasture than on poor land. 5th. The flavour 

 of the different kinds of cheese, such as Cheddar, Stilton, Cheshire, 

 and others, is much more dependent on the method in ordinary 

 use in these different counties than on the quality of the pasture, 

 although the latter exercises a considerable influence. The in- 

 feriority of the Boothy cheese, made from dry food, to that pro- 

 duced when the cows are at grass, is well known. Nevertheless, 

 admitting that food does much affect the flavour of cheese, 

 I still am of opinion that the various practical manipulations 

 exercise a yet higher influence in this respect. 6th. Each 

 system of cheese-making, whether that of Gloucestershire or 

 Somersetshire, appears to have its peculiar excellences, but also 

 its peculiar defects. 7th. Matters altogether indifferent are fre- 

 quently insisted upon as essential to success, whilst others of the 

 greatest importance are either neglected altogether or much 

 under-valued : unless therefore a person thoroughly understands 

 the grounds of his selection and preference, it is better to adopt 

 one empiric method than to attempt to combine the different 

 plans. 8th. I found good makers of cheese who had never 



