66 
Composition of Cheese. 
give tlie result of extended experiments in clieese-making. In the first place 
I shall take it for granted that the whole process np to salting is well under- 
stood, for it is of salting that I wish to speak in this article. 
" In June, 1859, I finished a few cheeses after tlie following manner : 
When my curd was scalded (1 practise tliorough scalding), 1 threw into the 
vat about 4 quarts of salt — sometimes only 3 — for a cheese of 50 to 60 lbs., 
stirring thoroughly. Those which went into the hoop before being well 
cooled off', acted badly ; but when I took time and means to cool sufficiently, 
the cheeses were very fine. On the whole, 1 did not like the process, and 
abandoned it. 
" In 1860 I commenced again, changing the programme as follows : After 
scalding 1 drew off the whey, leaving just enough to float the curd, and began 
to cool off, hurrying the process by pumping in cold water and changing often. 
Then, to a curd of say 60 lbs., a little more or less, I threw in sometimes 
3 and sometimes 4 quarts of salt, and stirred till well cooled — then drew off 
the salted whey, and threw it on the compost heap — put the curd to press, 
and pressed rapidly and thoroughly. And now for the result. I lost from 
my whey tub about three pails of whey and some salt. I gained in this, that 
my dripping tub under the press never had a particle of cream rise tipon it, 
and in having a cheese that gave me no trouble in curing, and tliat when sent 
to market sold for the very highest price, and called forth the unqualified 
approbation of dealers as being perfect in all respects — fine flavoured, very 
solid (not porous), and very fat. 
" And now let me talk to the experience of dairymen. In the old-fashioned 
way of breaking up and salting a curd, more or less bruising of the curd to 
break the lumps, in order to get the salt evenly distributed, is necessary ; and 
when put to press the white whey runs oft" freely, or in other words the cream 
runs off, and of course with it the richness of the cheese, and more or less of 
its weight ; and if the curd is very dry you are liable to get your cheese too 
high salted, and if not, the reverse. 
" My experiments clearly prove that a curd salted in whey will retain no 
more salt than it needs, and that as every particle comes in contact with the 
brine through the operation of stirring, no bruising is necessary. AVhether 
this is the philosophy of it or not, I am not chemist enough to determine, but 
I do know that if there is no discharge of white whey, or cream, it is retained 
in the cheese, adding to it both richness and weight as a remuneration for the 
extra salt and the wasted whey." 
, III. — Pkx\ctical Errors made in keeping Cheese. 
The following are some of the practical mistakes that are 
occasionally made after the cheese has left the presses and is 
placed in the store-rooms. 
1. Cheese is deteriorated in qualitij lohcn it is placed in damp or 
in badli/ -ventilated rooms. 
When beef or mutton is kept for a day or two in a damp and 
badly-ventilated place, the meat soon acquires a disagreeable 
cellar-like taste. The same is the case with cheese. Kept in a 
damp place, it also becomes mouldy, and generates abundance 
of mites. 
In some parts of Cheshire it is a common practice to keep 
cheese in dark rooms, carefully shutting out the free access of 
