MILK FOR CHEESE. 225 



specially fitted for the manufacture of cheese, as the 

 theoretical essential for the best result in cheese- 

 making is, that the butter should be retained in, and 

 evenly distributed through the cheese. When cream 

 rises, in the ordinary process of manufacture, it does 

 not again readily mix with the milk, but much of it 

 passes off in the whey. When, therefore, the milk 

 is rich to analysis, but the cream percentage is small, 

 on account of the butter-globules being too minute 

 to rise ver}' rapidly, or at all, through the fluid, theu 

 we have milk conditioned for the most favorable 

 results. I do not question but that, by the means of 

 the microscope, milk could be selected which would 

 endure reasonable skimming, or that amount of skim- 

 ming which could take place in ordinary cheese- 

 making, and yet make a richer cheese than another 

 selected milk, which might contain fully as much fat, 

 and be used unskimmed. 



In order that this statement may be rendered 

 clearer, let us see upon what conditions, in part, the 

 character of cheese depends. It must be borne in 

 mind that, if these observations of mine ai-e correct, 

 as tliey surely are, the dairyman deals not alone with 

 composition of milk, but also with structure, in the 

 processes of either butter or cheese making. 



During the ripening of cheese a portion of the 

 caseine or curd suffers decomposition, and is par- 

 tially changed into ammonia ; the latter, however, 

 does not escape, but combines with fatty acids pro- 

 duced in course of time from the butter. The pecul- 

 iar mellow appearance of good cheese, though due to 

 11 



