j^Ew ei^c;l.ani> farmer 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



PUBLISHED BY GEORGE C. BARRETT, NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (Agricultural \Varehouse.)-T. G. FESSENDEN, EDITOR. 



VOL. XIII. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 8, 183.5. 



NO. 39. 



UdS&4&a 



(Translated from the French, lor the iN'ew En;;lan(l Farmer. I 



cheese:. 



[Conutined from page 2^1.] 

 GRDIERE CHEESE. 



The quantity of milk requisite for Gruycre 

 cheese, and the necessity of using it as soon as it 

 is drawn, has suggested the jdan of associations, 

 by means of which several small proprietors plac- 

 ing their cows togetlier in the same pasture, under 

 the care of several keepers, use the milk by making 

 Gruyere cheese, the proceeds of which, after all 

 e.xpensesare paid, is divided according to the num- 

 ber of cows owned by each proprietor. 



The name (Gruyere) is taken from the ])lace 

 where the cheeses were first made, and which is 

 situated in the canton of Friborg which abounds 

 in elevated mountains. Similar cheese is made 

 in the Lorraine Vosgi, and in that jiart of the 

 Alps of Franche-Conite, where pasturage anala- 

 gous to that of Gruyere is found. 



The name of Markaires is given in Switzer- 

 land, and that of fruiterers in France, to those 

 who have the superintendence of the cows and 

 ■.he making of the cheese. 



They form their establishments near the water, 

 >f which they have often need. These establish- 

 iieuts are formed of the stables for cov/s — ot a 

 lairy and a lodging for the fruiterers. DiSerent 

 iinds of Gruyere cheese are made ; the fat is 

 nade from milk which contains the cream ; the 

 lalf-fiit with that which contains but a portion, 

 md the meagre with skimmed milk. 



They commence by straining the milk requisite 

 or the formation of a cheese ; which is done by 

 )assing it through a colander, and it falls into a 

 Lettle, which must be very clean. This kettle is 

 King on a crane, a moderate fire made underneath, 

 he milk is heated to about the temperature of 25 

 legrees ; it is then taken oft' the fire aud the ren- 

 let put in. They make use of the infusion of 

 ennet of which, generally, there are two kinds, 

 he old, and new ; the efl^ect of the new, which is 

 he strongest, is tried upon a small quantity of 

 lilk, aud if found too prompt, it is modified by 

 lixing with it a certain proportion of the old. 

 'he rennet ought to curdle the milk in 20 seconds. 

 'be ordinary quantity of this rennet is in summer 

 six hundredth part of the quantity of milk ; and 

 I winter the five hundredth ; it is varied a little, 

 jcording to the richness of the milk. It is, how- 

 ifer, well to observe that an excess of rennet is 

 ijurious to the quality and duration of the cheeses. 

 : is put in the milk, in a large wooden spoon 

 hich is moved all round in the milk, which 

 Heads it more equally and favors its action. The 

 ineral time for the "whole quantity of milk to 

 irdle, is a quarter of an hour; it varies, however, 

 ;cording to the season. Then the upper layer is 

 ken oft' because it contains the superabundant 

 unet. The curd is divided into as small bits as 

 >8sible, which is done by the aid of a wooden 

 irord and large spoon : the kettle is put again 



upon the fire, and what is called a hrassoir is 

 plunged into it to the bottom. This is a stick of 

 a length more than sufficient to project from the 

 kettle, the lower part has nine long narrow pegs' 

 ])laced crossways one above the other. Some- 

 times sticks bent in a half circle take the place of 

 the peg.«. By turning this " brassoir" round and 

 round the curd is reiluced to small pieces. 



This operation favors the separation of the 

 whey which rises upon the surface, and is taken 

 off" with a flat dish and turned into tubs placed 

 near, and only enough left for the cooking of the 

 curd. During this time the temperature of the 

 air is raised to about 35 degrees, and when the 

 particles have acquired a yellow color and yield 

 under the finger, then the kettle is taken from the 

 fire and the bi-assoir is moved round in it for about 

 a quarter of an hour. When the stirring has ceas- 

 ed the curd sinks to the bottom of the kettle, 

 where it is consolidated with the hands. After- 

 wards it is taken out and put into a tub, and from 

 thence the mould is filled with it. 



The mould is nothing but a stave of fir or 

 beech five or sLx feet long aud about six inches 

 high and a quarter of an inch thick. A circle is 

 formed of it without fixing the ends, which may 

 be bound together by means of a cord, as it is 

 wanted, and which diminishes much more the di- 

 uinfcler Oi' thu circle which it foiiiis. 



This mould is placed upon a thick and very 

 smooth table, which is covered with a thin cloth, 

 and filled with the curd, which is compressed as 

 much as possible, and made to rise about an inch 

 above. It is covered with a round board of a 

 little larger diameter, upon whicli is placed a 

 weight or large stone. When the board or plat- 

 ter touches the mould, it is taken off as well as 

 the weight, and the mould is contracted so that 

 the curd shall size above it about a quarter of an 

 inch. The platter and the weight are then repla- 

 ced. Thus the mould is contracted as often as 

 the pressure causes the curd to sink, aud 

 tlie platter to touch the mould. This attention is 

 very important, because upon it depend the quali- 

 ty, the good appearance, and tlie preservation of 

 the cheese. It will have suflicieut consistency at 

 the end of the day : they then contract the mould 

 to the size that they wish the cheese to have, and 

 put in the press for the night. 



The next morning, the cheese is taken from the 

 mould, and carried to the store house ; there, it 

 is put into a smaller mould than the first, and 

 salted by sprinkling it with fine pounded salt. 

 When this has dissolved and formed upon the 

 surface of the cheeses drops of water — they take 

 a piece of woollen stuff", with whicJi they spread 

 the drops on top and part of the sides of the 

 cheese. The next morning, it is turned and the 

 other side salted in the same manner, care being 

 taken to tighten the tnould. They continue to 

 turn it every day and to salt it on one side of it in 

 this manner for three weeks or a month. Gener- 

 ally, to have a cheese sufficiently salted, there 

 aliould be four or five parta to a hundred of its 



weight of salt ; it is true, that in this quantity 

 there is much lost. 



It happens sometimes, that with the greatest 

 care taken one may not siiccecii in making these 

 cheeses, and this may arise from circumstance.oi 

 independent of the will of the jierson who make.^i 

 them. But, generally, by taking all the precau- 

 tions of cleanliness, and in following exactly what 

 has been said, especially, all that is relative to 

 the different manipulations which take place 

 whilst the cheese is in press, we may succeed. 



The salting exacts also some attention. In or- 

 der to be successful, each time that the cheese i.'j 

 rubbed to spread the drops of water formed by 

 the salt, the crust should be dry the ne.xt day, and 

 tak« little by little from its consistency. When 

 it does not easily dry, it should be ruljbed with 

 more force, so that the rubbing should penetrate 

 the salt, because this forms round the cheese a 

 crust, which prevents its [lenetrating the interior. 

 When the paste has not been stirred and its 

 division not been complete, nor the working well 

 managed, the cheese has no boles, nor the neces- 

 sary consistency. When, on the contrary, there 

 has been too much pressure, the jiaste has no ad- 

 herence, it crumbles, receives too much salt, and 

 the cheese lasts hut a short time. France has an- 

 nu;:lly a great quantity of these Gruyere cheeses. 

 T]icj are capahio of being kr pr a vei) long tim'.-, 

 with care and precaution, although generally they 

 are consumed in a year after they are made. 



In the department of Jura, cheeses similar to 

 those of Gruyere are made. They are called 

 Vachetiiis and are made by the same process. The 

 half-fat are sold under the name of Gruyere. It 

 is inferior to it, although but a little ; and there is 

 no doubt but that more care would give it the 

 same qualities, for the pasturage is all that is de- 

 sirable. However, too little is made to suflice for 

 consumption. 



Q,tl ERIES ON THE CUI.TURE OF CORK. 



To the Editor of the New England Farmer. 



Sir, — I have read many communications on 

 the culture of Indian corn, in your excellent 

 Journal ; and in the last, one by Mr Daniel Chan- 

 dler. Planting but little corn, I should like to 

 pursue that course of culture, which will be the 

 most productive of profit. Presuming on Mr 

 Chandler's ability, and disposition to instruct the 

 ignorant, I venture to request that he would in- 

 form me through the medium of your Farmer on 

 the following particulars, viz. 



How he is located as to soil and climate .' How 

 long he lets his corn land lay in sward .' What 

 depth he ploughs and furrows ? What depth, and 

 at what time he plants ? The time of the first and 

 last dressings .' Whether he tops the stalk, and at 

 what season of its growth ? Is raising the earth 

 round the corn a benefit ? How he would apply 

 coarse, barn, and hog yard manure ? Whether the 

 " Phinney corn," is an early variety, and how I 

 can procure one eighth of a bushel for trial .' What 



