16 
BULLETIN 970, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
of the cheese, it is likely that the salt percentage would be slightly 
lowered by subsequent scrapings. Some of the water, possibly 1 or 
2 per cent, will be lost in ripening before the cheese is enveloped in 
foil. 
First scraping. — After a week or so in the draining room the 
cheeses are given their first scraping. This is done with knife or 
an ordinary wall scraper. At this time the slime, which is composed 
of the softened cheese, whey, salt, and the microorganisms, is care- 
fully removed. Care should be taken not to scrape the cheese too 
deep, for the surface at this period contains a high percentage of salt. 
Fig. 6. — Each cheese is punched, or pierced with steel needles, to 
admit oxygen and aid the development of the mold. 
In all this work at Grove City there was a loss of about 3^ per cent 
of cheese. Figuring on the basis of 4| pounds for the weight of each 
cheese, an examination of 1,040 cheeses showed a loss of 3.28 per cent. 
The losses in French cheese are somewhat higher. 
Punching. — Punching follows the first scraping of the cheese, 
which takes place in from 10 days to 2 weeks from the time the cheese 
enters the curing room. Oxygen is necessary for the proper develop- 
ment of the mold, and in order to insure its entrance each cheese is 
pierced with a steel needle in from 20 to 60 places. An examination 
of three imported cheeses shows that they average 20 holes per 
cheese; domestic cheese made at Grove City is punched about 30 
