Composition of Cheese. 



17 



The following Table shows the composition of some specimens 

 from the three counties to which I have just referred : 



Composition of Leicestershire, Warwickshire, and Wiltshire CJieese. 



The first analysis was made of an uncoloured Leicestershire 

 cheese, sold retail at 9e?. per Ib. The second was a much better 

 specimen from the same county. The latter, it will be seen, is 

 drier and richer than the former. 



The difference in the composition of the three Warwickshire 

 cheeses is not great. In all three the proportions of water, 

 butter, and casein, do not vary more than 2J per cent. The 

 greatest difference is observable in the amount of salt used. 

 In the second specimen we have nearly 3 per cent, of salt, a pro- 

 portion far above the average, and the cheese was to a certain 

 extent spoiled by this excess. I would direct special attention 

 to this, which I know from experience is not a solitary instance. 

 For no description of cheese should more than 2 Ib. of salt per 

 cwt. of cheese be used, and 1J Ib. per cwt. will, I believe, in 

 most cases be sufficient. This was by no means a good cheese ; 

 it had a strong taste, and was sold as common Warwickshire 

 cheese. This and the third were uncoloured, and the flavour of 

 the latter, as well as its texture and shape, was very good indeed. 



The first analysis was made of a coloured cheese which was 

 sold as best Warwickshire ; apparently it was an old and very 

 much richer cheese than No. 2, but on analysis it was found 

 actually to contain 1 per cent, less butter than the common cheese 

 of the same name, thus giving another instance of the fact that 

 good materials are often spoiled by unskilful management. 



Of the three Wiltshire cheeses No. 1 was decidedly the best 

 flavoured, and, as will be seen, also the richest. No. 2 and No. 3 



