68 



GENERAL AGRICULTOKAL NOTES. 



[Sept. 1894. 



Prevention of the Swelling of Cheese. 



A paper in the Landwirthschaftliche Jahrhucher, Schweiz, by 

 E. von Freudenreich, deals with the swelling nnd cracking of 

 cheese in the process of ripening : a difficulty often experienced 

 by cheese-makers. This swelling is said to be due to the 

 presence of large quantities of gas in the cheese, and Freudenreich 

 is of opinion that the production of this gas is connected with 

 the action of certain bacteria. His investigations into the 

 matter have shown that the mischief may be largely prevented 

 by the use of salt. Little swelling was found to occur in cheese 

 to which 3 per cent, of salt bad been added, while cheese made 

 from the same milk without the addition of salt was full of 

 cracks and holes. The treatment consisted in first heating the 

 curd, then dipping off about two-thirds of the whey, and treating 

 the remainder with three per cent, of salt. Freudenreich does not 

 claim that salt is an absolute remedy, bnt he suggests that the 

 treatment should be more widely tested by cheese-makers. 



Exports of Norwegian Butter. 



According to a report recently made by the Dairy Inspector 

 of the Agricultural Department of Norway, the exports of 

 Norwegian butter in 1893 amounted to 13,063 cwts., but the 

 quantity of butter imported into Norway in the sam.e period 

 was 16,336 cw^ts. In the previous year the imports of butter 

 into Norway are stated to have been nearly 25,000 cwts., while 

 the export of butter made in Norway amounted to 9,762 

 cwts. 



It is stated in the report that there is still room for much 

 improvement in the quality of the butter made in Norwegian 

 dairies. The fodder employed on most farms is either insufficient 

 to produce a satisfactory yield of good milk, or it consists 

 largely of inferior materials. Too small a quantity of artificial 

 feeding stuffs, especially oil-cake, is often used in winter, and, 

 apart from the decreased flow of milk caused by this system of 

 feeding, the milk itself yields a deficient quantity of butter, 

 poor in fat. Even worse results are said to arise from a one- 

 sided system of feeding wdth such fodders as brewers' grains, 

 turnips, fish-cake, and fish-meal. It is pointed out that these 

 materials can be used with advantage only in small quantities 

 mixed wdth large proportions of recognised good artificial 

 foods. 



