2 BULLETIN" 608, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The attempt to make Emmental and Limburg cheese in this coun- 

 try has been very successful, as is proved by the statement that in 

 Wisconsin alone 500 factories are making these varieties; also, some 

 factories in Ohio, New York, and northern Illinois are making them. 

 Investigation by this department in cooperation with the experiment 

 station at Storrs, Conn., has demonstrated that Camembert, and also 

 a cheese of the same general nature as Roquefort or Stilton, can be 

 made successfully in this country. There is no reason to believe that 

 any variety of cheese imported can not be made here, although with 

 present knowledge it would not be advisable to try to make many 

 kinds. Probably scientific investigation would show how to im- 

 prove on the average quality of the cheese made in the old countries, 

 for it must be remembered that only the very best is shipped by the 

 European makers, the rest, or poorer grades, being consumed at home. 

 Unfortunately, a feeling is prevalent in the United States that 

 cheese equal to the best of the European product can not be produced 

 here. This feeling is based upon a lack of knowledge of actual con- 

 ditions in Europe and of the conditions affecting the qualities of 

 cheese. Certain parts of Europe probably are better favored by de- 

 sirable climatic conditions and by more general dissemination of the 

 bacteria or molds necessary to the characteristic ripening of different 

 varieties, but even the best average natural conditions can be im- 

 proved on by artificial means, since necessary molds or bacteria can 

 be grown in pure cultures and utilized anywhere. However, the cost 

 may render it impracticable. 



It is an unfortunate fact that the sale of homemade varieties of 

 European cheese is seriously handicapped by the partiality of con- 

 sumers for foreign labels. The prejudice against American-made 

 cheese has been intensified to a great degree by the practice of dealers 

 who sell the better grades of homemade cheese as imported, and the 

 poorer grades as domestic. It is probable that this practice continues 

 in the sale of domestic Swiss or Emmental, as there is at present no 

 means of detecting fraud in the sale of that type of cheese. 



The demand for information concerning the different varieties of 

 cheese has become general, and the information is not very accessible 

 to those unable to read other languages than English. The apparent 

 need of some work of reference in connection with both the importa- 

 tion and the home production of cheese has therefore led to the 

 prepartion of the descriptive notes and the compilation of the 

 analytical data in this bulletin. 



The descriptions are for the most part based upon data found in 

 treatises on dairying and in articles in foreign periodicals. While in 

 many instances they are very incomplete and possibly in some cases 

 inaccurate, they nevertheless contain in condensed form practically 

 all the important information that it has been possible to obtain 



