122 THE DAIRY OF THE FAEM. 



to a reddish yellow. They are not removed until they 

 have commenced to sweat and no longer stick to the fingers 

 when touched. The next process is that of ripening in the 

 cave de perfection, or curing cellar, which is an apartment 

 with glazed windows and interior shutters arranged to pre- 

 vent the entrance of the sun. The temperature must he 

 mild about 50 F.-^-and the apartment slightly humid. 

 Too much moisture is not desirable, and the floors are often 

 paved to prevent this. Shelves are built round the room, 

 and upon these, cheeses are placed according to their age. 

 As they are taken from the top, the lower tiers are removed 

 up and space left for new cheeses as they arrive a foot 

 dividing each shelf. The cheeses remain here from 20 to 

 30 days, during which time the most constant attention is 

 paid to them, for they are turned almost every day, and 

 every phase of fermentation watched, and assisted or 

 checked as may be found necessary. In some cases they 

 are made all the year round, large dealers purchasing the 

 cheeses from the smaller makers in their new state, and 

 drying and ripening them themselves in their own specially 

 prepared apartments. 



The most imperfect ripening is that of summer, hence 

 cheeses are seldom made by farmers during the hot months. 

 When the process is complete, each cheese is wrapped in 

 paper and packed away in sixes, and again wrapped up and 

 packed in wooden cases or willow baskets in wheat chaff, 

 and despatched to the markets. In the best season they 

 reach 6s. 6d. to 7s. 6d. a dozen, but in summer they are 

 often sold as low as 4s. realizing, however, lOrf. to Is. 

 each in the London markets. Upon the average, it takes 

 2 litres to make a cheese of 300 grammes or about 10J 

 ounces. M. Paynel uses 1000 litres of milk daily when 



