826 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK n. 



results can be obtained by this efficient and comparatively inexpensive 

 system are its chief recommendations. 



In a well-managed dairy, where the cheese is properly cured as 

 described, the thin cloths and bandages can be kept on the cheese for 

 transit, as there is thus much less chance of damage ; and when the 

 cloth is removed by the retailer or consumer, the cheese should open 

 free from mould, mites, or cracks ; and should possess fine mellow 

 texture, sweet aromatic flavour, and pure rich buttery qualhy, retaining 

 these characteristics if kept for years. 



The Canadian system of making Cheddar cheese has, within recent 

 years, attracted considerable attention in this country, and especially 

 has been pursued with marked success in Scotland. The following 

 remarks, contained in a paper on " Cheese-making in Ayrshire," read 

 before the conference of the British Dairy Farmers' Association in 

 1889, by Mr. R. J. Drummond, are quoted from the " North British 

 Agriculturist " : " In the year 1885 I was engaged as cheese instructor 

 by the Ayrshire Dairy Association, to teach the Canadian s}'stem of 

 Cheddar cheese-making. I commenced operations under many diffi- 

 culties, being a total stranger to both the people and the country : and 

 with this, the quantities of milk were very much less than what I had 

 been in the habit of handling. Instead of having the milk from 500 to 

 1000 cows, we had to operate with the milk from 25, and not over 

 60 cows. As a rule I found the people very much prejudiced against 

 anything American ; to them it seemed an absurd idea to have to 

 bring an American over to teach the mother country how to improve 

 her cheese. 



" The system of cheese-making commonly practised in the county of 

 Ayr at that time was what is commonly known as the Joseph Harding 

 or English Cheddar system, which differs from the Canadian system 

 in many details, and in one particular is essentially different, viz., the 

 manner in which the necessary acidity in the milk is produced. In 

 the old method a certain quantity of sour whey was. added to the milk 

 each day before adding the rennet, and I have no doubt, in my own 

 mind, that this whey was often added when the milk was already acid 

 enough, and the consequence was a spoiled cheese. 



" Another objection to this system of adding sour whey was, should 

 the stuff be out of condition one day, the same trouble was inoculated 

 with the milk from day to day, and the result was sure to be great 

 unevenness in the quality of the cheese. The utensils commonly in 

 use were very different to anything I had ever seen before ; instead of 

 the oblong cheese vat with double casings, as is used by all the best 

 makers at the present time, a tub, sometimes of tin and sometimes of 

 wood, from 4 to 7 feet in diameter by about 30 inches deep, was 

 universally in use. Instead of being able to heat the milk with warm 

 water or steam, as is commonly done now, a large can of a capacity of 

 from 20 to 30 gallons was filled with cold milk and placed in a common 

 hot-water boiler, and heated sufficiently to bring the whole body of 

 milk in the tub to the desired temperature for adding the rennet. I 

 found that many mistakes were made in the quantity of rennet used, as 



