The Practice of Cheddar Cheese MaMng. 
421 
lower level of two feet than the dairy, so that the whey can pass by 
open shoots from the cheese-tub into a cistern placed upon stands, 
large enough to contain the day's supply at a depth of twelve 
inches. (Useful butter can be made fi-om cream taken off the 
whey, either for immediate consumption or potting down for 
winter use.) This cistern should lead, by socketed 2-inch 
glazed pipes, into the whey-vault (to hold at least 100 hogsheads), 
and the connection between the cistern and glazed pipe have 
a bend ten inches deep, so as to prevent any gas coming into 
the buildings from the vault when the cistern is being emptied. 
A plug placed at the bottom of this bend is useful in case of 
stoppage. Glazed pipes are recommended, because the whey soon 
perforates metal. No drain should on any account be allowed 
in the dairy buildings, but all washings let off by an open 
shallow gutter and glazed pipes through the walls into a well- 
trapped drain outside. If this is not done, bad smells and gases 
will be certain to ruin the milk. An ample supply of pure 
water, with taps where needed, is of course a necessity. 
Over the dairy and boiler-house should be the cheese-rooms, 
approached by an easy staircase from the latter — 9 feet high 
to the wall-plate, and ceiled, the roof joists being boarded 
and covered with felt. Tiles are preferable to slates, the object 
aimed at being to provide an even temperature through the year 
(the whitewashing of the tiles in the summer months much 
assists in this). The floor joists should be 11 inches by 3 inches, 
and the boards tongued. Hot-water pipes laid close to the walls 
give the best method of heating — all sides of the cheese thus 
getting an even temperature, a result which is not secured by 
stoves. The shelves should be of H-inch red deals, 18 inches 
wide, so ari'anged as to afford the easiest method of turning the 
cheese. The windows should have blinds for cooling the room in 
summer, and should admit of easy ventilation. 
In the inner room for young cheese, there should be a tem- 
perature of 65° to 70°, and in the outer room for the older 
cheese 60° to 65°, Half the space over the boiler-house may 
be partitioned off, as the other half and that over the dairy is 
ample for the two cheese-rooms, leaving the third as a most use- 
ful dry store for spare utensils, salt, &c. 
The most approved Cheddar cheese tub — or vat, as some call 
it — is round, and made of the best and strongest block tin ; copper 
is sometimes used, but is more expensive, and when the tin 
wears off (as it soon does) is very undesirable. Not only is the 
curd more easily and evenly broken in the round than in 
an oblong vat, and kept from sticking to the bottom, but the 
swing that can be given to the mass at the close of scalding 
