540 
Report on Checse-maldng in Derbysliire. 
meal, besides adding very substantially to the manure-heap. The 
" black water " (as the liquid manure is here termed), collected 
from the stables, cow-houses, and sties, is very beneficially 
applied to the adjacent meadows. 
By the kind permission of Mr. Thomas Nuttall, of the Manor 
House Beeby, Leicestershire, who, in addition to making Stilton 
cheese on his farm of 350 acres at Bceby, and keeping a shop for 
the sale of his produce in Newgate Street, London, is making a 
large quantity at the Etwall Dairy, situated about six miles from 
Derby, an opportunity was afforded me, on the morning of the 
16th of July, of seeing his system of manufacturing this much- 
appreciated variety of English cheese. After a pleasant drive, 
1 arrived while the milk was being received from the many 
neighbouring farms, off which Mr. Nuttall gets his supply. 
By a simple and expeditious contrivance the milk is weighed, 
and the (juantity sent by each person thus ascertained, 10 lbs. 
being allowed to the gallon. The quality of the different lots 
is also carefully tested, and a register kept. The milk-cans 
(or churns) are then emptied into a large strainer, from which the 
milk passes into the cheese-tub (or vat), 14 feet long by 4 feet wide, 
made of wood lined with tin, and containing, when full, about 
(iOO gallons. The milk is raised or lowered to a temperature 
of 7')^ by means of steam or cold water, admitted into a space 
in the sides and bottom of the tub between the wood and tin, 
and the rennet added, made from green cured skins in the 
proportion of 1 oz. to every 10 gallons. Great care is taken tr> 
thoroughly mix the milk and rennet. At the expiration of 1^ or 
IJ hour, coagulation is considered perfect, and the next opera- 
tion commences. Mrs. Nuttall, one of her sons, and two female 
attendants take their places, two on each side of the tub, and 
with shallow tin bowls commence removing the mass of curd 
into cloths, which are placed in tin vessels called drainers, 6 feet 
long, 2 feet wide and G inches deep. Iron rods are fastened 
across these at intervals of 1^ foot, on which the sides of the 
cloths are placed. Two of these drainers are fixed on a frame, 
2 feet apart, one above the other, standing on wheels for easy 
removal. As soon as these are filled they are placed on one 
side of the spacious dairy, and others take their place. Thus, 
in the space of about twenty-five minutes, all the curd is taken 
from the tub, which is at once carefully cleansed and scalded. 
This cleansing is much facilitated by means of an ample supply 
of steam, always available, and conveyed by pipes to different 
parts of the dairy from the boiler, which works the steam-engine 
of five-horse power attached to the premises, and, in addition to 
thoroughly cleansing the utensils used in such a large dairy, 
pumps the ample supply of cold pure spring-water from a well 
