CHAP. vni. FACTORY CHEESE-MAKING. 359 



The salted curd is next vatted, and subjected to the action of screw 

 presses till the last portion of whey is expressed. In these presses 

 it remains till next morning, when it is taken out, and conveyed to 

 the lower curing-room and weighed, has some tissue paper attached to 

 the flat sides of what is now a formed cheese, and is placed on the 

 cheese-shelves to cure and ripen. Here it is turned each day for a 

 few days, when it goes to the upper curing-room, on the shelves of 

 which it is turned every other day. 



In some cases the curd is placed in what is technically termed a 

 " dry-vat," so soon as the whey has been taken off it. This vat is 

 generally a good deal smaller than those in which the milk is coagu- 

 lated, and it is provided with a false perforated bottom, on which a 

 cloth strainer is placed to facilitate the passing out of the whey. 



The round form of the cheese, so well known, is obtained by using 

 strong circular hoops of wood or of galvanized iron, the diameter being 

 on the average 15 inches and the depth 5 or 6 inches. The hoops 

 are placed on a movable board at the bottom of the press. The 

 curd is filled into the hoop, and carries a cloth with it to the bottom 

 of the hoop, the cloth being of course first placed over the hoop. 

 When the hoop is filled with curd another cloth is placed over 

 it, then a small board, and the whole is slipped under the press. 

 The pressure is applied slightly at first, and then gradually increased 

 till it reaches that of four tons. When the curd is solidified, it is 

 ready to receive the permanent bandage, which is of stout calico. This 

 bandage is so arranged that it covers the round edge of the cheese, 

 with an overlay at top and bottom. The cheese is then returned to 

 the hoop, and again subjected to pressure for about 18 to 24 hours, 

 when the cheese is taken out and carried to the curing-room. In the 

 factory in which the process now being described is carried on, the 

 cheese, after being removed from the hoop, is rubbed over with whey- 

 butter, for two or three days. This is done to prevent the cracking of 

 the outer skin or rind of the cheese. The uniform temperature of 

 the curing-room is of great importance ; this for the first six weeks 

 should be about 70 F., when it should be gradually reduced to about 

 65, at which it should remain until the cheeses are sold. 



In the American factories where the butter is made from sweet 

 cream not soured or lappered, the skim-milk, being also sweet, is 

 available for the making of skim-milk cheese, which forms part 

 generally of the operations of butter-making factories. In making the 

 skim-milk cheese, the milk is set in the vat at a temperature of 82 F., 

 and sufficient rennet is added to coagulate the mass in 40 or 60 minutes. 

 The process throughout is very similar to that we have above described. 

 Here it is that the emploj'ment of animal fats found an opening, to 

 supply the want of the cream removed, hence we have that abomina- 

 tion of the dairy, oleomargarine cheese. This product is also called 

 "filled" cheese, because after the removal from the milk of the 

 natural butter-fat, the place of the latter is, as it were, " filled " up by 

 another fat. 



Butter factories have been established in Sweden with marked 



