Composition of CIiccsc. ^1 
Percentage of water in Card iclien read// to go into the vat. 
1st specimen, percuntagc of water HO'C? 
2nd „ „ „ r.rr!)3 
3id „ „ , 53-40 
4th „ „ „ r,2-80 
5th : „ „ „ 50-01 
These were produced accor(linj>- to the custom of Gh)ucester- 
shire and Wiltshire, at a temperature varying from 72 ' to 75° ; 
but, not having taken the observations myself, I am unable to 
speak more precisely. This much, however, is quite certain, 
that the lower temperature at which the cheese is usually made 
in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, when compared with the 
Cheddar system, fully accounts for the large proportion of water 
that is found in curd made after the Gloucester or Wiltshire 
fashion. The cheese made from these five curds was best at the 
dairy in which I found the lowest proportion of water in the 
curd. The differences here noticed, however, are due not only to 
the higher or lower temperature employed, but also to the 
trouble and the time bestowed in breaking up the curd. Other 
circumstances being equal, the more thoroughly curd is broken 
up, and the longer time is occupied in this pi-ocess, the more 
whey will pass out, and the better the cheese is likely to become. 
I consider 50 per cent, of moisture rather under the average, and 
53 to 54 per cent, a proper quantity of water to be contained 
in the curd when it is vatted to form a thin or moderately thick 
cheese. In making thick cheese, it should not have more than 
45 per cent, of moisture. 57 or 59^ per cent., the proportions of 
water in the first and second specimens of curd, are too high 
even for a thin cheese. 
Curd being a very peculiar and delicate substance, which is 
greatly affected by the temperature to which it is exposed, I 
directed some special experiments to the investigation of its pro- 
perties. First, I coagulated new milk at 60^ Fahrenheit, and 
lound that at such a low temperature it took three hours to com- 
plete the process, though the rennet was added in a very large 
excess. The curd remained tender, and the whey could not be 
properly separated. Milk at 65° F., on addition of rennet, 
curdled in two hours ; but the curd, as before, remained tender, 
even after long standing. At 70^ to 72° F. it only took from 
one-half to three-quarters of an hour, and the curd now separated 
in a more compact condition. The process was more expe- 
ditious, and the curd in better condition, when the temperature 
ranged from S0° to 84°. At 90' the rennet curdled the milk in 
twenty minutes, and at 100° F. an excess of rennet coagulated 
the milk in about a quarter of an hour, separating the curd in a 
E 2 
