2 BULLETIN 608, U. 8S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
TABLE 2.—Quantity of cheese produced, exported, and imported in United States 
1922 to 1926 
Year Production Exports Imports 
a | 
Pounds Pounds Pounds 
2 2 peer eee ee hn LEA PO Se ee re ee rs 374, 980, 000 5, 006, 574 4G, 673, 099 
TG ee Ne ee Sl eh ee RLS Has) Udi SD Ra LR ect arte 398, 947, 000 8, 331, 321 64, 419, 783 
ODA ERS SI CES See Rk TCE fale cc Ou RP a ee 417, 940, 000 4, 299, 127 59, 175, 591 
NIB Ga Rs ale ay Brea ee ge ie ee 447, 514, 000 9, 190, 054 62, 402, 706 
G2 Ge ee ele ce ge ye ar ea ll nc a 431, 416, 000 3, 902, 597 78, 416, 823 
A number of varieties are included in these importations, and 
nearly all are among the highest priced cheeses made, such as Em- 
menthaler from Switzerland, Parmesan and Gorgonzola from Italy, 
Roquefort, Camembert, and Brie from France, and Edam from 
Holland. 
The attempt to make Emmenthaler and Limburg cheese in this 
country has been very successful, as is proved by the statement 
that in Wisconsin alone more than 17,000,000 wheel and block Swiss 
cheeses and more than 5,000,000 Limburg cheeses were made in 
1926. Investigations by this department in cooperation with the 
experiment station at Storrs, Conn., and later at Grove City, Pa., 
have demonstrated that Camembert and cow’s-milk Roquefort can 
be made successfully in this country. There is reason to believe that 
all the varieties of cheese imported can be made here, although with 
present knowledge it would not be advisable to try to make many 
kinds. 
Unfortunately, a feeling is prevalent in the United States that 
cheese equal to the best of the European product can not be produced 
here. This feeling is based upon a Jack of knowledge of actual con- 
ditions in Europe and of the conditions affecting the qualities of 
cheese. Certain parts of Europe probably are better favored by de- 
sirable climatic conditions and by more general dissemination of the 
bacteria or molds necessary to the characteristic ripening of different 
varieties, but even the best average natural conditions can be im- 
proved by artificial means, since necessary molds or bacteria can 
be grown in pure culttises and utilized anywhere. However, the cost 
of providing artificial means may render it impracticable. 
Unfortunately, the sale of homemade cheese of European varieties 
; seu hanslicapped by the partiality of consumers for foreign 
abels 
The demand for information concerning the different varieties of 
cheese has become general, and the information is not v ery accessible 
to those unable to read other languages than English. The apparent 
need of some work of reference in connection with both the importa- 
tion and the home production of cheese has therefore led to the 
preparation of the descriptive notes and the compilation of the 
analytical data in this bulletin. 
The descriptions are for the most part based upon data found in 
treatises on dairying and in articles in foreign periodicals. Although 
in many instances they are very incomplete and possibly in some cases 
inaccurate, they nevertheless contain in condensed form practically 
all the important information that it has been possible to obtain 
in an extended search through the literature relating in any way to 
the subject. Owing to the large number of publications consulted. 
‘th 
