Report on Chcese-mahing in Derbyshire. 
541 
near at hand, to a reservoir placed above the roof of the buildings, 
heats the cheese and other rooms, grinds the curd, &c. The 
cloths containing, the curd are loosely tied by the four corners, 
thus allowing the whey to partially separate from it ; but it is 
considered essential that it does not drain off, the old saying 
on this part of the manufacture being " that it should wallow 
in its own whey." In about one hour the taps are turned, and 
it is allowed to drain off, when the cloths, after being tightened, 
are placed close together in a large drainer of somewhat similar 
dimensions to the cheese-tub. Here they remain twelve hours, 
when the whey, which by this time has considerably further 
separated, is allowed to escape, the cloths are again tightened, 
and the curd, having now obtained a considerable amount of con- 
sistency, is placed in other coolers. The curd is in a little time 
removed from the cloths and cut into pieces. After remaining in 
this state twelve or twenty-four hours, it is coarsely ground, and 
the morning's and evening's curd are well mixed, with 6|ozs. of 
finest cheese-salt to every 24 lbs. It is then put into tin hoops 
with perforated sides, 1 2 inches deep by 8 inches in diameter ; 
these, when filled, are placed in a room with a brick floor fitted 
with shelves, and heated to a temperature of 65°. This causes the 
whey to exude rapidly, gradually ceasing at the expiration of 
five or six days. The cheeses are then removed from the hoops 
and taken into the binding-room, where they are smoothed with 
a knife, and bandaged by strong calico being pinned round 
them. This smoothing is repeated daily, and dry bandages 
applied until the cheeses get firm and partially coated, which 
generally takes place in about twelve days. They are then re- 
moved to the drying-rooms, which are also kept at a tempe- 
rature of 65° by means of steam-pipes, or cooled by water trick- 
ling over the slates from a perforated pipe, a capital contrivance 
placed there by Mr. Nuttall, and working very efficiently. The 
cheese is considered fit for sale at about six months old, when 
the 24 lbs. of curd placed in the hoops will have produced a cheese 
ol some 12 lbs. or 13 lbs. In these rooms are many thousands of 
young cheese, which, under Mrs. Nuttall's skilful management, 
exhibit every promise of being, when ripe, of equally choice 
quality to those which formed the four colossal pyramids ex- 
hibited by Mr. Nuttall at the Islington Dairy Show of 1877, 
when he was awarded both the Gold and Silver Medals of the 
British Dairy Farmers' Association for the excellence of his 
Stiltons, and for which he has obtaiaed many money prizes, 
cups, and medals, besides the first premiums at the International 
Shows held at Frome and New York in 1879, and the First 
and Second and Champion Prizes at the Dairy Show held in 
Birmingham this year. 
