Cheese £xpei imcid.s. 
183 
tlie niivikot v.iliu! of Clieddar is not raised inatcriallj by sucli an 
addition. I'irst-rate cheesemakers, Mr. Bridges observes, often 
take some cream from the milk, and still make a superior quality 
of cheese (wortli more in the market) than less exjjerienced and 
careless makers produce from unskimmed milk. He looks upon 
the tem})erature and the careful breaking' of the curd as the points 
upon which the quality of the cheese (Cheddar) mainly depends 
— apart, of course, from the influence of the natural richness or 
poverty of the milk. 
Having treated of all these points in detail in my paper on the 
'Composition of Cheese,' I need not refer to thorn in particular. 
These observations made by Mr. Bridges must be satisfactor} 
to dairymen, as affording a practical confirmation of the correct- 
ness of opinions which I have already published, as resulting 
from my own observations and scientific experiments. 
The cheeses produced in these trials were not so good as the\ 
might have been, nor liive those of experienced makers, such as 
Mr. Harding of Marksbury, Mr. McAdam of Gorsty Hill, or Mr. 
Chandos Pole of Derby. Anxious not in any way to thwart oi 
disconcert tlie dairymaid, I thought it wise to let her have 
entirely her own way. She certainly made two great mistakes. 
To one I have already alluded : six ounces of salt is not enough 
for from 50 to 60 lbs. of cheese ; three-quarters to one pound 
would have been a better proportion. The second mistake which 
she made was to raise the temperature to 108° F. On no 
account should the teat of the cheese-tub be allowed to rise 
above 100^ F. The higher the temperature is raised the more 
readily the whey passes from the curd, and the less mechanical 
work is required. The dairywoman may, therefore, be naturally 
tempted to save herself trouble to the injury of the cheese. 
Although I am a great advocate for the Cheddar system of 
cheesemaking, I am bound to say that the comparatively lower 
temperature which the best Cheshire makers adopt is the main 
reason of the exceedingly fine aroma which so favourably cha- 
racterises their produce. 
The finest-flavoured cheese which I ever tasted was made at 
Ridley Hall, near Crewe, Cheshire, I have no hesitation in 
saying that milk of the same quality as that which there came 
under the careful management of Mrs. Willis, in the hands of 
the most expert Cheddar maker would not produce a cheese of 
an equally delicious flavour. 
The care, skill, and enormous amount of work and time which 
the making of the best Cheshire entails, especially when contrasted 
with the Cheddar system, no doubt are the main causes why so 
little really first-rate Cheshire cheese is now manufactured. I 
would strongly recommend those who prefer in the main to follow 
