COAGULATION AND BREAKING THE CURD. 259 



cutting must be repeated, until the curd shall be 

 reduced to the smallest and most even particles. 

 The cheese tub is then again covered, and must 

 remain until the curd has sunk to the bottom when 

 the whey is laded off. In a short time the curd will 

 settle and become solid, and may then be broken 

 into the vat, where it again goes through the opera- 

 tion of cutting, and pressure is applied until it be 

 perfectly drained of the whey. The utmost atten- 

 tion is required in this stage of the business, to lade 

 off all particles of slip-curd, namely, such unsub- 

 stantial parts as have been loosened from the solid 

 mass, and will be seen floating on the surface of the 

 whey; such, if not removed, will dissolve in the 

 cheese, and occasion whey-springs, which greatly 

 reduce its worth, producing early unsoundness. 

 The whey being of a green colour is the indication 

 of a perfect make; but if white, it is a sign of 

 imperfect coagulation, and that the cheese will be 

 sweet and of inferior quality. The curd being fully 

 consolidated is put into several separate vessels, and 

 again broken with the hand, as small as possible ; salt 

 is then added and intimately mixed with it ; and it is 

 often the practice to over-salt poor and inferior cheese, 

 in order to impart to it some semblance of strength 

 and relish. 



PRESSING. Breaking and salting finished, a cloth 

 is spread over the vat, which is pierced with holes, 

 in bottom and sides, to facilitate the escape of every 

 remaining drop of whey, and when the cheeses are 

 large they may be pierced with iron skewers for the 

 same purpose. A smooth round board is then laid 



