A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



the luxuriant hedges, and the large quantity of hedgerow timber, chiefly 

 elm, present a striking contrast to the bare landscape of the hills. The 

 farmer of the vale chiefly relies on his cattle and his dairy, and although 

 much milk is sent away to the towns a considerable quantity of cheese is 

 made in the neighbourhood of Berkeley and Gloucester 



The cheese known as Double Gloucester is a thick cheese weighing 

 about 33 Ib. and is made from March to October, the procedure at the 

 County Council Dairy School being as follows : The night's milk is sieved 

 into a large vat in the dairy and left until morning. The cream is then 

 skimmed, warmed up, and mixed with the morning's milk, which is added to 

 that of the previous night. The whole is then heated by means of hot 

 water to 82-86 F. according to the time of the year. Rennet is now 

 added at the rate of i drachm to 3-4 gallons (i fl. oz. to 2530 gallons) to 

 form the curd, and the vat is covered and left for about an hour, when the 

 contents should be sufficiently firmly coagulated to break clear over the 

 thermometer. It is then cut with both vertical and horizontal American 

 cutters, short intervals being left between the operations. Afterwards the 

 curd is gently stirred and gradually heated to a temperature of 9o-94 F. 

 It is then allowed to settle for fifteen to thirty minutes, piled to the centre of 

 the vat and the whey let off, after which it is removed to a cloth on the 

 rack and cut and turned at intervals of twenty to thirty minutes according to 

 condition. When the curd is fairly dry it is ready to vat, and should have a 

 decidedly acid taste and smell. It is weighed, ground, and salted at the rate 

 of i oz. of salt to 4 Ib. of curd before placing in the smaller vats, the full 

 process of manufacture occupying from six to seven hours. On the first day 

 the cheese is put into the press with only a slight pressure, and on the 

 second day it is turned, a dry cloth put on and full pressure applied. The 

 same treatment continues for five days, when it is removed to the cheese 

 room, where it remains until ready for market, which will be in about eight 

 weeks. 



Single Gloucester is a thin cheese weighing about I4lb., frequently 

 made partly of skim milk, the cream taken from the night's milk not being 

 returned to the vat when the morning's milk is added, as is the case with 

 Double Gloucester. The principal difference lies in the fact that the curd 

 obtained is not so firm and dry, and the same degree of acidity is not 

 developed before vatting as in the case of Double Gloucester. The time 

 occupied in making Single Gloucester is from five to six hours, and it 

 should be ready for market in about six weeks. 



The records relating to the milk used for cheese-making at the County 

 Council Dairy School in 1904, the cheese being afterwards sold, show that 

 when made into Stilton the milk realized i id. a gallon, Double Gloucester 6d., 

 and Cheddar returned over j\d. a gallon, while milk made into Single 

 Gloucester realized over $d. 



The arable land of the vale is now for the most part cultivated with the 

 object of assisting the dairy as well as the production of corn, and the fallow 

 crops are principally mangold or cabbage, followed by beans, which are 

 succeeded by wheat. The whole of the manure made on the farm is usually 

 applied to the arable land, which is managed so as to produce as heavy crops 

 .as it will grow. A regular rotation of cropping is seldom practised, the aim 



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