98 ESSEX AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



cheese, made upon my farm, at Hog Island, in the town of Es- 

 sex. I have had the milk of 15 cows, through the season. We 

 began to make new milk cheese exclusively, (or nearly so,) 

 about the middle of May last, and, with the exception of a few 

 days, have made one cheese a day, of about 30 pounds weight, 

 up to the 3d of September. The whole number is 101, and the 

 whole weight about 3000 lbs. 



Our method has been, to take the cream off of the night's 

 milk, every morning, then to warm the milk, and, when brought 

 to the temperature of new milk, to put all the cream into it 

 again, and add the morning's milk, while warm. Our reason 

 for not warming the cream, is to avoid the oily appearance 

 which it always takes on being warmed. The milk at night 

 is strained into tubs, which saves the trouble and expense of 

 milk pans. I never put coloring matter, of any kind, into the 

 cheese, or upon the outside. A cotton cloth is sewed round ev- 

 ery cheese, on taking it from the press. We keep them in the 

 press 48 hours, during which time they are turned twice. After 

 going on to the shelves, they are turned every day, and rubbed 

 with fat of some kind. We use the fine salt that usually comes 

 in bags of about 25 lbs. each, and put a pint, wine measure, into 

 every cheese of 30 lbs. weight. The quantity of rennet is al- 

 ways such as to have the curd form, and be ready to break up 

 in about three-quarters of an hour after it is put in. The rennet 

 is allowed to soak about 24 hours before use. We find that one 

 fourth part more rennet is necessary for new milk cheese than 

 for other cheese. We use the common lever press. 



The cows have a change of feed by going about two weeks 

 in each pasture. They have had no fall-feed, no roots or meal, 

 nothing but pasture grass. 



Essex, Sejdcmber 27, 1848. 



Fattening Cattle and Swine. 



There has been no application for premium, the present 3^ear, 

 for fattening cattle or swine. In the county of Essex, there is 



