86 THE DAIRY OF THE FARM. 



acquire a certain degree of consistency. The curd is then 

 left half an hour to subside. 



At the expiry of the half hour the curd has settled to the 

 bottom of the tub. Drawing off the whey is the next 

 operation. The greater proportion is lifted in a large tin 

 bowl, and poured through a hair sieve into the adjoining 

 coolers. As it runs into the leads it appears to be very 

 pure. When the whey above the mass of curd is thus 

 removed, a spigot is turned at the bottom of the tub, and 

 the remainder is allowed to drain off, which it does very 

 rapidly without any pressure being required. To facilitate 

 this part of the work the tub is made with a convex bottom, 

 and the curd is cut from the sides of the tub and placed on 

 the elevated centre. It is carefully heaped up, and then 

 left for an hour with no other pressure than its own weight. 

 After this interval it is cut across in large slices, turned 

 over once on the centre of the tub, and left in a heap as 

 before for half an hour. The whey drips away towards the 

 side of the tub, and runs off at the spigot ; and no pressure 

 being applied, it continues to come away comparatively 

 pure. After undergoing these easy manipulations, and 

 lying untouched during the intervals that have been men- 

 tioned, the curd is ripe for the application of pressure. But 

 great care is taken not to put it into the vat to be pressed 

 at too high a temperature. If the heat be above 60 and 

 it usually is higher at this time the curd is broken a 

 little by the hand and thrown upon a lead cooler until 

 it is brought down to the desired temperature. 



The after-management of the cheese resembles that of 

 Cheshire. A little salt, 1J Ibs. per cwt. or thereabouts, is 

 added to the crumbled curd, and it is mingled and broken 

 by the curd mill. The cheese vats are placed under the 



