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British Dairy Farming. 
sembles thick cream, a portion of which immediately oozes from 
beneath the crust where the knife has been inserted. Secondly, 
to obtain a mild, yet rich aromatic flavour, which no cheese 
possesses in the same degree as the Brie. To obtain these two 
features, in addition to ordinary care good cattle and good 
management are necessary, the feeding must be appropriate, 
and the dairy suitable, i.e., it must be one in which the peculiar 
fungus of the Brie not only exists, but grows in full vigour. 
This one important point explains why many of the first ex- 
perts even in France are always unable to produce cheese of 
the highest type, whereas others who work almost by rule 
of thumb are able to turn out cheese of the very highest 
quality. I have repeatedly enquired of French makers if it 
be true that it is necessary, in starting a new dairy for cheese- 
making, to import the fungus from an old dairy in which it 
exists. This fact was told me some years ago, I believe, 
by the late M. Cyrille Paynel, of Camembert fame, and in one 
instance he had found it necessary to wash the walls of a new 
cheese room with a liquid which was really the washings of 
an old cheese-ripening apartment. The idea is now, however, 
disputed by the French makers whom I have asked, but the fact 
remains that such an importation is not only sometimes made, 
but absolutely necessary. M. Slot Decauville, who kindly gave 
me an introduction to Madame Decauville's dairy, has related 
how he was unable to obtain a particular variety of fungus 
which is responsible for the conversion of the Brie curd into the 
highest class of cheese. He sought it in various humid cellars, 
and subsequently found it and sowed it upon his cheese with 
success.* 
* He says in his little brochure upon the Brie : — 
11 est reconnu qu'on pent semer lo champignon sur le fromage; pour mon 
compte personnel, je m'en suis couvaincu encore tout dernierement, et voici com- 
ment. On connait les belles taches rouges qui vienncnt par hasard sur quelques 
fromages comme un cachet et qui sent fort rechcrchees : elles sout, pour bpaucoup 
de personncs, accidentolk s ct dues a I'endroit seul ou sent conserves les fromages. 
Je connais memo quelques fermiers qui robtieuneut presquo toujours, ils sont 
privile'gie's ; aussi jo chercliai longtemps dans certaincs caves humides, voulant a 
tout prix trouver le champignon similaire a celui-la, tout au moins en apparence, 
et je finis enfin par le decouvrir. 
Dans une cave liumide oil I'on avait laisse' des tonncaux vides, j'apergus sur I'uu 
d'eux et h. la place de plusieurs fosscts oii lo f&t avait plcure deux vege'tations 
superbcs d'un rouge vif au milieu, et entourc'es d'uuo belle nioisissuro blanche 
Gxactemont coramo ce que jo desirais trouver. Jo m'cmprossai de les recueillir, 
puis de les mettre sur un fromage qui etait ii sa premiere ve'getatiou esterieuro ; 
au bout de quelques jours, le champignon s'^tait e'tendu et tointait agre'ablemefit 
le fromage. 
Ce n'etait pas la premiere fois qtio jo grcffais un champignon d'une autre 
couleur, raais cetto opeiation mo fit d'autant plus do plaisir, quo j'avais sous la 
main ce que j'avais cIktcIic' si loin et quo je de'scspe'rais de trouver. 
The following is a translation of the above :— 
"It is understood that fungi can bo cultivated upon cheese; for my part I 
