5C. 
Composition of Cheese. 
things exists excellent cheese is made. When the whey first 
separates from the curd it is always more or less turbid, but by 
degrees it becomes clearer ; and il sufficient time is allowed, and 
it is then tapped off without disturbing the curd, it runs off 
almost as clear as water. By this means nearly the whole of 
the butter may be retained in the cheese. In order to place this 
beyond a doubt, I examined the whey which Mr. Kccn il, the 
inventor of the excellent cheesemaking apparatus which bears 
his name, allowed me to take on the occasion of a visit which I 
recently paid to his dairy-farm at Laycock, near Chippenham. 
One sample of whey was taken at the stage in which it was 
usually tapped off in Mr. Keevil's dairy ; the second when the 
whey had become a little brighter, about ten minutes after the 
first ; and the third about twenty minutes after the first. It then 
was as clear as water. These three samples when analysed gave 
the following results : — 
( Composition of Wliey taken at 3 different periods. 
No. 16. 
No. 17. 
No. 18. 
1st Sample. 
2nd Sample, 
3rd Sample, 
taken 10 minutes 
taken 21) minutes 
after 1st S.imple. 
alter 1st Sample. 
Water 
92-90 
93-2.5 
93 •OS 
•18 
•18 
•03 
•94 
•94 
•94 
Milk-siigai' and lactic acid 
5-30 
5-03 
4-82 
•G8 
•60 
•66 
100-00 
100^00 
ICO • 00 
•15 
•15 
•15 
The two first samples are almost identical in composition ; they 
l)oth contain very little butter, but, small as that quantity is, it 
can be further reduced to a mere trace by letting the whey stand 
a little longer. In practice it may for other reasons not be 
desirable to let the whey stand at rest quite so long as the third 
sample stood ; and a dairymaid may congratulate herself when 
she succeeds in breaking up the curd so carefully that the whey 
contains as little butter as that made under Mr. Keevil's personal 
direction and excellent management. 
It may perhaps be supposed that the successful manner in 
which the butter is retained in the cheese in Mr. Keevil's dairy 
is entirely due to the use of his patent apparatus, and that by its 
introduction any dairymaid may be enabled to make good cheese. 
But this supposition is not correct. Keevil's apparatus, useful 
and good as it is in many respects, is no safeguard against 
carelessness. Cheese is spoiletl with, as well as without it. 
