CHESHIRE CHEESE-MAKING 95 



in the press-room wall, so situated as to have 

 the kitchen fire at the back of it. The utensils 

 required are such as are used in any process 

 of cheese-making, but the hoops are usually 

 perforated, the vat is jacketed and rather 

 shallow, and the curd-mill is fine-toothed, so 

 that the curd can be ground down to a rather 

 fine state of division. 



There are three methods of manufacturing 

 Cheshire cheese, each of which produces a special 

 type of cheese. The three methods are the early 

 ripening, the medium ripening, and the late 

 ripening, named after the predominant char- 

 acteristic of the cheese produced, i.e. an early 

 ripening cheese, a medium ripening cheese, and 

 a late ripening cheese. The two latter of these 

 cheeses are of much higher quality than the first 

 named. Yet at the present time the quick or 

 early ripening cheese is much made, and this 

 probably is one of the causes of the prevailing 

 low prices. 



The method of manufacture about to be 

 detailed refers to a cheese which will take about 

 three months to ripen, and is therefore classed 

 as a medium ripening cheese. The qualities 



