THE DAIRY. 287 



kept for the purpose, which causes the milk to assume a deep 

 red colour ; and the milk thus coloured, is added to that to be 

 curdled in the quantity required to give it a deep orange tinge. 

 The dye being mixed, the runnet is added, and the whole 

 being stirred, the vat is covered with a thick canvass cloth, 

 so as to prevent the milk from cooling : the whole is then left 

 at rest, and the coagulation proceeds to its termination. 



This is the method of proceeding, when there is a sufficient 

 quantity of milk at each milking of the cows to form one or 

 more cheeses ; but when there is not a sufficient quantity of 

 milk for this purpose, or when for any reason the milk of a pre- 

 vious collection is mixed with the new, then the older milk is 

 to be heated to the required temperature before being mixed 

 with the new. This may be done by heating the old milk 

 in a boiler to the temperature of about 90, or better, by 

 putting the milk in a tin or copper can, and placing this in 

 a cauldron of boiling water ; or else by heating only such a 

 portion of the milk as, when added to the remainder, shall 

 raise it to the temperature sought for. The heated milk and 

 the new being then mixed together, the colouring matter and 

 runnet are added, the vat is covered, and the coagulation 

 allowed to proceed. 



The most suitable temperature for the milk to be curdled 

 is found to be about 90. The quantity of runnet should be 

 so adjusted to the liquid, as that the coagulation shall take 

 place in about an hour. If the coagulation take place too 

 quickly, either from an excess in the proportion of runnet, or 

 too high a temperature of the milk, the curd produced is hard 

 and tough, and the cheese is wanting in delicacy of texture 

 and flavour ; and if, on the other hand, the strength of the 

 runnet, or temperature of the liquid, is too small, the curd 

 does not acquire sufficient consistence. 



The curd being formed, the whey is expressed. This is at 

 first done gently, because otherwise, before the curd has 

 acquired consistence, a portion of the cream would be ex- 

 pressed along with the serum. The most approved practice 



