338 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK n. 



the skim-milk that a cheese may be made from it which is mellow 

 and palatable, and which will resemble in texture and meatiness a 

 whole-milk cheese. Oleomargarine can be bought at about 14 cents 

 per pound, and as a much less quantity is added to the skim-milk 

 than the original butter taken off, the difference in price as well as 

 quantity of the two articles constitutes the profit to be derived from 

 the management of milk on this system as compared with whole-milk 

 cheese-making. 



" But, first, how is oleomargarine made ? A gentleman who has 

 recentty paid a visit to an oleomargarine factory in Hartford, Connec- 

 ticut, writing in an American contemporary, says : ' Only the very 

 best fresh beef suet from the caul and kidneys is used at this establish- 

 ment, and of this there is bought and used daily about 600 lb., which 

 is procured fresh every morning from the slaughterer. This fat is first 

 mechanically cut up by means of a machine, which rapidly reduces it 

 to a pulp, so finely ground that it resembles thick cream in consistency. 

 It is then placed in open tanks of sheet iron holding 700 lb. each, 

 which are heated by steam. This thoroughly dissolves out all the oily 

 matter from the cellular tissue, the fatty matter floating on top 

 being drawn or skimmed off carefully and allowed to cool in large 

 vessels. By slow cooling the fat crystallizes, and the more solid 

 margarin and stearin are separated from the olein, which remains 

 diffused through the mass. The semi-solid mass is then put into strong 

 bags of new cotton cloth, the variety known as "Pequot A" being used 

 for this purpose. These bags, which hold about two pounds each, are 

 then placed in a powerful press, which separates the lighter oil, forming 

 the essential principle of butter, from the stearin, which is the harder 

 and heavier product. As it flows from the press the oil is clear, yellow 

 in colour, tasteless, and without odour, having been so refined in the 

 several manipulations that all smell or taste of suet is entirely removed 

 from the oil. The residue in the bags, which is stearin, is sold 

 to be used for hardening lard sent to the Southern market and warm 

 climates.' 



" This yellow, tasteless, odourless oil is what is used in the skim- 

 milk for making the so-called oleomargarine cheese, and when prepared 

 as above stated, there is no reason why it is not as clean and as whole- 

 some as the butter fat which comes from the udder of the cow. The 

 most scrupulous neatness is observed in its production, the greatest 

 care being taken to use only the freshest and best suet to be obtained 

 from healthy fat animals slaughtered for beef. Indeed, old, tainted, 

 refuse grease cannot be successfully employed, and if such were used 

 the oleomargarine business would soon come to an end. 



"The oleomargarine cheese is said to.be a good-flavoured meaty 

 article, having remarkable keeping qualities, and retaining its flavour 

 much longer than the whole-milk cheese. The method of improving 

 skim-milk by the use of oleomargarine is so effective that it is believed 

 a considerable quantity of the new kind of cheese will be constantly 

 thrown on the American markets from the creameries." 



In commenting upon it, "Moore's Rural New Yorker" says: 



