432 The Practice of Cheshire Cheese MaJnng. 
in an hour it should be ready to cut, being at that time elastic 
enough to break clean over the finger without adhering when 
placed in it and raised sideways. The top of the curd, which 
may have a thin film of cream on it, is then turned over with 
a skimmer, and the breaking down proceeds with the curd 
knives or breaker until the pieces are the size of an Indian 
corn. 
This takes from thirty-five to forty minutes, and should be 
carefully earned out. Good work is known by the whey coming 
off green and clear, while indifferent work is known by tliick-look- 
Fig. 4. — Press Room. 
ing creamy whey. The temperature is then raised to 92° or 9 i°F., 
the mass being kept well stirred until it is thoroughly and uni- 
formly heated ; then the curd is allowed to settle to the bottom of 
the vat, and the whey is left on, until there is a slight develop- 
ment of acidity, tested by the sense of smell or by the acid reaction 
on blue litmus paper. The curd is then gathered to one end of 
the vat and the whey drawn ; two piecesof the draining racks are 
now put on the bottom of the vat and covered with cheese cloths, 
the curd is cut into cubical-.shaped pieces of 5 in. x 6 in. and lifted 
on them, and cut again and turned over several tiraes'during the 
