612 MILK 



isms gradually penetrate to the center of the curd and effect 

 changes similar to those produced by the micro-organisms them- 

 selves. It follows that the interior of the cheese ripens more 

 slowly than the outside, and while the outer layer soon assumes 

 a smooth, transparent appearance, the inside remains white and 

 granular for some time. The size of a hard cheese is not an 

 important matter, since microbial activity is uniform throughout 

 the mass, but soft cheese must be ripened in relatively small 

 pieces, so as to offer a large outside surface for the action of micro- 

 organisms which need oxygen. In hard cheeses air is not only 

 unnecessary, but in some respects disadvantageous. 



There are more than 400 varieties of cheese manufactured, 

 but only a small number are of commercial interest. However, 

 the consumption of cheese is on the increase, and new varieties 

 appear on the market from time to time. Doane and Lawson have 

 described 245 varieties of cheese, and have stated that during the 

 years 1900 to 1905 the value of imported cheese rose from $1,946,- 

 033 to $3,875,161. Most of the imported cheese comes from Italy, 

 Switzerland, France, and Holland. The most popular varieties 

 imported from Italy are the Parmesan and Gorgonzola; from 

 Switzerland, the Emmenthaler; from France, the Roquefort, 

 Camembert, and Brie; from Holland, the Edam. Several types 

 are manufactured in this country, chiefly hard cheeses, and some 

 imported cheeses have been imitated with considerable success. 

 Among the latter are Emmenthaler, or Swiss cheese, Limburger, 

 Camembert, Brie, Isigny, Roquefort, Stilton, and others. 



Since cheese contains fat and protein in an easily digestible 

 condition and in relatively large proportion, it is a valuable article 

 of food. The true food value has not been fully appreciated by 

 the public, although the increase of importation shows that 

 cheese as a food is becoming more popular. The proteins in 

 cheese are easy to digest, especially those in soft cheese. But 

 hard cheese — although frequently assumed to be indigestible — 

 is not difficult to digest if it is thoroughly masticated. The fat in 

 cheese is more easily assimilated than that of meat and vegetables. 

 Furthermore, cheese contains abundant mineral matter. Only 

 carbohydrates are absent, except in fresh cheese, such as cottage 

 cheese. But even in cottage cheese the sugar is present in small 

 quantity. Cheese is a successful rival of meat as food for human 

 consumption, as it contains the necessary food elements and is 

 cheaper than meat. Langworthy and Hunt have pubhshed in 

 Farmers' Bulletin 487 of the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture a popular description of the most favored cheese, and 

 a large number of home recipes for utilizing cheese for food. 

 In this useful bulletin the food value of cheese is discussed and its 



