PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS. 253 



seventy degrees the best temperature at which to run the 

 milk will be eighty-four degrees; but, as the temperature 

 of the dairy at different times of the year will be found 

 to vary above or below seventy degrees, the temperature 

 of the milk must be proportionally regulated by the 

 simple addition of cold water, to lower it ; but, to in- 

 crease the temperature, heat the milk in the usual man- 

 ner, although ifr is absolutely necessary to avoid heating 

 it beyond one hundred and twenty degrees. 



After having brought the milk to the required tempera- 

 ture, and added the coloring, for every quarter hundred 

 weight of cheese mix one pint of new sour whey with the 

 requisite proportion of rennet ; and, having arrived at 

 the formation of a good curd, which will be the invari- 

 able result of a strict adhesion to the foregoing rules, 

 let it be carefully cut up with three-bladed knives, as 

 fine as possible ; then dip off half the whey, and heat a 

 portion of it to the temperature of ninety-five degrees, 

 and return it to the whey and curds ; then, after stirring 

 it for five minutes, allow the curd to sink, and as quickly 

 as possible dip off the whey. Having done this, press 

 the curd by placing on it a board weighted with from 

 three to five fifty-pound weights, which will gradually 

 and effectually press the remainder of the whey out. 



When the whey is dipped off, put the curd into white 

 twig basket-vats, made the shape and size of a turned 

 vat, which would contain the sixth of a hundred weight 

 (about three inches deep, and two feet in diameter). It 

 will be necessary to have boards about one inch thick, 

 and two feet four inches in diameter, to go between 

 each of these twig vats, to prevent the whey running 

 from one vat into the other. When it has been pressed, 

 return it again into the cheese-tub, cut it into small 

 pieces, put it into the vats again in dry cloths, press it 

 and return it to the tub again, cutting it into small 

 22 



