528 
Daii-y-Farming in the Netherlands. 
cultural Societies to introduce the improved dairy appliances 
used in Denmark, Sweden, and ?\orth Germany, but they meet 
Avith but slight encouragement from the farmers' wives. 
Gonda Cheese. — The district in which this cheese is made is 
round the town of Gouda, not far from the Delft butter district 
in South Holland. Two varieties are made, one being of com- 
paratively small diameter, and rounded at the circumference, 
known as the " Gouda" cheese, and the other, larger in diameter 
and flat at the periphery, known as " Derbyshire " cheese. The 
processes of manufacture are so similar and so simple that they 
can be described together. 
The cows are milked morning and evening, and cheese is 
made twice a day, as soon as possible after each milking. The 
success of the cheese-making depends entirely upon the skill and 
experience of the farmer's wife or daughter, who is almost inva- 
riabl}" the cheese-maker. The milk is put into a large wooden 
tub, and, if not warm enough for the rennet to be added, a certain 
amount of hot water is mixed with it, to bring it up to the 
required temperature. In one case, where a thermometer was 
used, this was stated to be 93° Fahr. ; but this depends upon 
whether "Gouda " or "Derbyshire" cheese is to be made. In 
the former case the curd is not fit to cut until from 20 to 30 
minutes after the rennet has been added, but for " Derbyshire " 
cheese it comes in from 15 to 20 minutes. The curd is cut with 
a native harp-like knife, made of stout wire, and also in some 
cases with a sharp English or American gang-knife. It is 
neither cooked nor salted, but is simply put into moulds and 
pressed for 24 hours. The cheeses are afterwards put into a 
salt bath strong enough for an egg to float in it, and then further 
surcharged with salt by a pile being placed on each cheese, as 
well as an additional quantity in the bath. " Derbyshire " 
cheeses remain in this bath from four to five days ; but " Gouda " 
cheeses are kept in " pickle" from six to eight days, partly in 
accordance with individual practice, and partly according to 
the size of the cheese. The after-treatment of the cheese re- 
sembles very much our English practice. 
The land is chiefly old polders, which have for many years 
been in permanent pasture. About one-tenth of the area is 
occupied by ditches, and the land is let at from 3/. to 4/. per 
acre. The richness of the land near Bodegraven is such that 
2J acres of land will keep a milch-cow all the year round, and 
in one case I was told that it carried two sheep as well. Some 
of the land is better adapted to fatten cast cows than to carry 
cows in-milk, and is used accordingly. About two-fifths of the 
land is annually mown, and the cows in winter are fed on the 
hay with an allowance of linseed-cake. Calves are sold very 
