177 
in making Cheshire Cheese . 
skewers, &c. being removed ; and the other woman lays 
hold of the vat which is drawn from the cheese; and 
after rinsing it in warm whey, and putting another clean 
cloth over the upper part of the cheese, it is returned 
inverted into the vat again, and, being placed on the 
ladder over the tub, is broken half way through, as 
before ; thrusting, weighting, and skewering, &c. is 
repeated, and continued from two to four hours, or 
as long as a drop of whey can be extracted from the 
cheese. 
Patting the Cheese into the Press . 
When no more whey can be extracted by the afore 
said means, the cheese is again turned into the vat and 
rinsed, as before, with warm whey. The cloth now 
made use of is larger and finer than the former, and is so 
laid on one side it shall be level with the side of the vat, 
and on the other wrap over the whole surface of the 
cheese, and the edges put within the vat; thus perfectly 
inclosing the whole cheese in the cloth. In this stage of 
the business, the cheese is still higher than the edge of 
the vat; and to preserve it in due form recourse is had to 
a tin binder or hoop, about three inches broad, which is 
put round the cheese on the outside of the cloth, and the 
lower edge of the binder pressed down within the vat, 
so low as that the upper edge of it may be level with 
the surface of the cheese. The cheese is then carried to 
the press ; and a smooth strong board being placed over 
it, the press is gently let down upon it; the usual power 
of which press is about fourteen or fifteen hundred pounds 
weight. 
As soon as the cheese is put into the press, it is well 
skewered ; the skewers are of a strong iron wire, eighteen 
or twenty inches long, sharp at the points, and turned 
with a bow at the other end. The vat and tin binder 
Yol. ii. 
Y 
