HEW 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL 



MEM 



9 



PUi!LISr]EI) I5Y GEORGE C. UARRETT, NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (Agk,cu,.tural W.rhhocse. 



) — T. G. FEbSEXDEN, EDITOR. 



VOL. XIII. 



BOSTON, WEPNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 11, 1835. 



KO. 31. 



^m^ m-^m^-E^ 



The following is a continuation of a translation of a 

 French work, a part of which we have already pub- 

 lished, commencing with page 193 of our present vol- 

 ume. We think highly of the work, and are under 

 great obligations to the friend who has favored us witli 

 tlie translation. 



CHKESK. 



Cheeses were known among the ancients but 



no trace remains of t!ie manner of their niakiir<r 

 them. An immense quantity is made in France, 

 considerable is however imported there, from dif- 

 ferent countries, particularly from Switzerland, 

 Holland, Italy, and England. 



We have said that the benefit derived from the 

 manufacture of cheeses forms a great compen.?a- 

 tion for the trouble and attention it requires ; we 

 will also repeat that this species of produce should 

 not be made an object of speculation — excepting 

 at a distance from cities, and wlien localities offer 

 the means of economically foddering a large num- 

 ber of cows, slieep and goats. 



It is generally thought that the quality of the 

 "odder influences very perceptibly that" of the 

 •hecse. There is no doubt that the food gives to 

 he milk a greater or less abundance of constitutive 

 ilements ; but there is likewise no doubt that care, 

 •)»M"!in-ss, imd tho manner of. making the checso 

 •ontributes still more to it. We see some dairy- 

 yomon obtain cheeses of a better quality, than oth- 

 rs, whoso cows nevertheless graze in the same 



lastures. This is a useful fact to be known 



■ecauso upon it depends, the improvement of many 

 f our cheeses, which will remain inferior as long 

 8 the cheese-makers, persuaded that theh- defects 

 iiroceed from the fodder — obstinately will not 

 erceive the faults of their processes. We have 

 llo^vu the composition of milk, and said how tlie 

 utter is extracted from it. Cheese does not, in a 

 iss degree exist in it, since it is comjiosed of the 

 heesy part, which, it is only necessary to free 

 ■cm the whey, in which it floats. In milk left 

 > itself, this part separates, and thus naturally 

 jrms the cheese. But when this effect takes 

 lace spontaneously, it contracts a sour or sharp 

 ste, injurious to it, excepting wheii it is to be 

 iten immediately, particularly in summer when 

 lis acidity is pleasant and stiiiuilating ; but when 

 18 to be kept, the milk should be artificially 

 irdled ; finally, the qualities of this alimentary 

 ibstance, depending upon the means eujployed, 

 e art of manufacturing it exacts jiarticular L-are 

 id precaution. 



Generally, summer is the season chosnn to 

 ake cheese ; food is then more abundant, and 

 inaequently, milk ; at this time it curdles more 

 sily and more thoroughly and the cheese made 

 'm It, has time to acquire, by wiut-r, the quali- 

 •s which render it excellent. 

 • 'lieeses are made with pure cream ; with milk 

 ■ It IS drawn from the cow ; with that to which 

 •portion of cream is added, and finally with 

 t"n milk. Of course all these cheeses possess 



different qualities according to the proportion of 

 tlieir elements ; but the manner of manufacturing 

 them produces a still greater difference : thus a 

 prodigious number of cheeses are made, although 

 f-nly with the milk of cows, goats, sheep and 

 sometimes a mixture of these three. 



It would be trespassing beyond the limits we 

 have proscribed to ourselves, to describe more 

 than the manner of making those kinds of cheeses 

 which enjoy a certain reputation. Thus we in- 

 tend to consider them in two principal classes, in 

 which they may be all ranged. 



The first will comprehend those cheeses which 

 preserve a soft consistency, and which are eaten 

 when fresh. 



The second, those of a solid consistency, and 

 which can be ke])t longer, the consistency is ow- 

 ing to the weight of the press, and to the dressing. 

 Before describing the means adapted for curd- 

 ling the milk, and which are used for all cheeses, 

 we may saj', that generally a multii)licity of cir- 

 cumstances, wdiich it is difficult to define and to 

 understand, exert so great an influence in the 

 nuinufacture of cheeses, as to produce perceptible 

 difference in those even made in the same ])lace, 

 of the same milk, the same pressure, in the same 

 day and by the same person. 



The causes which produce them can only be 

 pointed out ; but it is difficult to remedy tlieni, 

 t.scause they often escape the eyes of those most 

 accustomed to the business. 



It is known that one cow will produce milk dif- 

 fering from that of another in proportion to the 

 constituent elements, and that this same propor- 

 tion varies itself every day, according to the age 

 and the state of the health of the animal, the 

 cold or heat, the air which it has breathed and the 

 nourishment it has taken. 



Consequently the mixture of these different 

 milks will only cause the mass to experience the 

 different modifications. Finally, the state of the 

 atmosphere, the good or bad exhalations which 

 charge the air of the dairy ; tlie size, arrangement, 

 dryness or moisture of the dairy, the nature, form 

 and capaciousness of the utensils employed ; the 

 newness or oldness of the rennet, its greater or 

 less strength, and the quantity which is always 

 uncertain ; lastly, the different processes to which 

 the curd is subjected to obtain from it cheese ; 

 the places in which it is deposited, are so many 

 circumstances which favor or hinder the perfec- 

 tion of cheese. 



IS used. Lambs and kids equally furnish this, 

 provided they are killed, as well as the cahoK. 

 before they have taken any nourishment but their 

 mother's milk. 



The mode of preparing this, nio.^t gcncridlv 

 adopted, consists in opening the ventricle or lower 

 stomach of the calves. It is freed from the clots 

 of blood, washed, wiped with a clean linen, salted 

 and put back into the rennet-bag, which is Lunc 

 up to dry it. The use of the reimct thus preparo<C 

 varies, in every place where cheese is made' 

 (" pomogeine.") Some cut off a piece of it^ 

 which they mix in a little milk or a little water, 

 others merely rub with it a skimmer or wooden 

 spoon, which they afterward dip into, and stir the 

 whole iTi.ass of milk. Some persons add to it 

 vinous or acid liquors ; lastly, there are some who 

 soak the rennet-bag in a certain quantity of water, 

 either cold, or boiling, leave it there a"while, and 

 employ this infusion. 



The following is very nearly the manner in 

 which the rennet is prejiared, which is used for 

 the Cheshire chee.se, so famous in England, and 

 which is imported into France. 



The fresh rennet-bag or ventricle is cleaned 

 from all the impurities it may contain, by weshin" 

 and wiping it. It is then almost entirely filled 

 with salt : afterwards a bed or layer of'thLs latter 

 is nirf'ie ir c f ^t !-rge enotigh "to co;>;:;iD thi 



OF THE MEANS EMPLOYED TO CURDLE THE MILK. 



A great number of substances possess this 

 property. We may cite among the vegetable, 

 flowers of the two kinds of " galUum," I" lady's 

 bed-straw,") the yellow and white, and tho.se'of 

 the thistle, artichoke, &c. ; vegetable acids and 

 cream of tartar produce this eftect likewise, but 

 are not used for the object, which now occupies 

 us. There are also mineral acids, but the use of 

 them is dangerous. 



Most ordinarily, to attain this object, the liquor 

 contamed m the stomach of calves called rennet, 



rennet-bags, placed fiat one above the ather, above 

 each a layer of salt, and continued iu this way 

 until the pot is sufticiently ftill. The last upper 

 layer should be of salt. The pot is covered 

 with a plate or piece of slate, and put in a cool 

 place. 



When it is time to use them, all the rennet-bags 

 are taken out at once, drained, laid upon a table 

 and sprinkled with fine salt, on each side, then 

 passed over with the rolling pin, to cause them to be 

 Jicnetrated with the salt ; lastly, they are hung up 

 to dry, unfolding each bag, and keeping it ope'n by 

 means of a little stick. 



When they are sufiicieutly dry, they are placed 

 in a vessel either large or small, and three pints of 

 water poured into each rennet-bag. After twen- 

 tyfour hours' time, they arc drawn out, and put 

 into another vessel, and only one pint of water to 

 each bag poured in. They remain in this twen- 

 tyfour hours, and then are taken out, stirrmgthem 

 first gently in the infusion. 



The two infusions are mixed and strained 

 through a -sieve of fine cloth. Suflicient salt is 

 added, to prevent the liquor from dissolving en- 

 tirely, and for some to settle at the bottom of the 

 vessel. Care should be taken, every day in sum- 

 mer to take off the scum which forms, and add to 

 it from time to time a little salt, that there may 

 be constantly a plenty of it. This liquor is used 

 m the proportion of a one hundred and tvrenti- 

 eth part to the milk to curdle. 



Whatever method may be used for the employ- 

 ment of the rennet, as regards the rest, it always 

 produces the desired effect ; but it is not sufficient 

 to separate the whey from the curd, but tha lat- 



