270 DIGESTIVE QUALITY OF CHEESE. 



this state, it possesses the property, in certain circum- 

 stances, of inducing a species of chemical change and 

 fermentation in other moist substances with which it is 

 mixed, or is brought into contact. It acts after the 

 same manner as sour leaven does when mixed with 

 sweet dough. Now, old and partially decayed cheese 

 acts in a similar way when introduced into the stomach. 

 It causes chemical changes gradually to commence 

 among the particles of the food which has previously 

 been eaten, and thus facilitates the dissolution which 

 necessarily precedes digestion. It is only some kinds 

 of cheese, however, which will effect this purpose. 

 Those are generally considered the best in which some 

 kind of cheese-mould has established itself. Hence, 

 the mere eating of a morsel of cheese after dinner does 

 not necessarily promote digestion. If too new, or of 

 improper quality, it will only add to the quantity of 

 food with which the stomach is probably already over- 

 loaded, arid will have to await its turn for digestion by 

 the ordinary processes." This mouldiness and tendency 

 to decay, with its flavor and digestive quality, are 

 often communicated to new cheese by inoculation, or 

 insertion of a small portion of the old into the interior 

 of the new by means of the cheese-taster. 



In studying attentively the practice of the most suc- 

 cessful cheese-makers, I think it will be observed that 

 they are particularly careful about the preparation of 

 the rennet, and equally so about the details of pressing. 

 In my opinion, the point in which many American 

 cheese-makers fail of success is in hurrying the press- 

 ing. I think it will be found that the best cheese is 

 pressed two days, at least, and in many cases still 

 longer. 



