HAMPDEN SOCIETY. 89 



But, notwithstanding the importance of this branch of hus- 

 bandry to farmers themselves, and the direct interest also which 

 every other class of the community have in it, it is a well-known 

 fact, that much of our butter and cheese is of an inferior quality, 

 which can, and should be, very greatly improved. The late 

 increased exportation of these articles from this country to Eng- 

 land, by bringing them in competition with superior articles, will, 

 we believe, have a very favorable eifect in directing attention to 

 them, and improving their quality at home. It has been 

 remarked, by those who have had good advantages for judging? 

 that the inferior quality of much American butter and cheese 

 is principally owing to a prevailing custom of having no fixed 

 rules in making them. The Yankees are proverbial for "guess- 

 ing," and they are greatly inclined to exercise this kind of skill 

 in determining the quantities of ingredients which are to compose 

 their dairy products. It is said, that, in the best managed 

 dairies in this country, and especially in England, the cheese, 

 for instance, from any one of them, is very nearly of a uniform 

 quality, while, in others of less note, it varies from that mellow 

 and rich, through intermediate grades, down to that which, so 

 far as hardness and toughness are concerned, may, without 

 much poetry, be called, "white oak cheese." 



Messrs. Gaylord and Tucker, in their able work, entitled 

 "American Husbandry," maintain, that, to the neglect of two 

 things, quality of the rennet and proper temperature of the milk, 

 most of the defects in our cheese are owing. It is said to be a 

 welt-ascertained fact, that not far from one ounce of pure rock 

 salt is the proper quantity to incorporate with a pound of butter, 

 and that, in setting milk for cheese, the proper temperature is 

 from 85 to 95 deg. ; below or above which, the quality is greatly 

 injured. And yet, but few, comparatively, have any rules or 

 uniform practice in any of these matters. 



The Committee regret that no detailed statement of the man- 

 ner of making accompanied any of the several lots presented, 

 either of butter or cheese. True, the several samples spoke for 

 themselves, and most of them spoke well ; but they spoke to 

 very few, and even to them gave no information how their ex- 

 cellences might be imitated. The mother, wife or daughter, 

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