3-iO THE DAIPtYMAX'S MANUAL. 



alkaline. A clear understanding of these facts in regard 

 to tbecaseine is indispensable to the duir3^man, who must 

 be able at all times to make his own rules for guidance 

 in emergencies when unexpected difficulties and obstacles 

 arise and are met with. 



The caseine may be precipitated or changed into curd — 

 which is its solid form, but rendered soft by the mechan- 

 ical mixture with it of a large proportion of water — by any 

 acid, and in making some kinds of cheese acetic acid, 

 hydrochloric acid, or lactic acid in the form of sour milk, 

 is used for making the curd. But the commonly used 

 agent for procuring the curd is rennet or the dried 

 stomach of a yoitng unweaned calf which has sucked the 

 dam. Other similar substances are used for this purpose. 



The calf's stomach will always be the most popular 



substance used for this purpose in cheese making, and its 



preparation may well be considered particularly. The 



stomach of the newly-killed sucking calf only is used. 



This contains some of the curd of the milk upon which 



it has been fed, and in some dairy districts the calf is 



given a copious drink of milk shortly before it is killed, 



^^ so that the stomach may contain a 



M/ larger quantity of this curd, which is 



H^^^ preserved with the stomach. The stom- 



£ %w ^^^^ either emptied of its contents or 



fl '^ ^''\^ these intact, is salted inside and 



m •v^i^ ^"^^ ^^^ dried in a warm place. The 



P^i 5 . I iM^^iiil '•^sual method is to turn the stomach, 



W'll ' LlSliw' shake off the curd, salt the stomach, re- 



^IMip^^S^ turn it and salt the outer side, then 



^^^^^ stretch it upon an elastic twig and 

 ^^^- ^^- hang it up to dry (figure 69). When 



the rennets are perfectly dry they may be put into 

 a bag and hung up in the dairy-room for preserva- 

 tion. Other methods arc used in different localities, 

 such as to pickle the stomachs in brine and dry them, 



