60 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
shown in classes as follows :—Under 2 years and 6 
months ; over 2 years and 6 months, under 3 years 
and 3 months ; over 3 years and 3 months, under 4 
years and 6 months. In 1869, in the youngest and 
oldest classes, the Herefords were the heaviest, but 
the difference of weight at the Smithfleld between 
the Herefords and Shorthorns, is trifling, and is 
of the dairy, are appearing almost daily, and in this 
respect dairying is not at all behind any other 
skilled handicraft. But to curdle the milk, rennet 
—the stomach of the calf—is still used ; and the 
curd is heated in the vats, broken up; drained, 
ground, salted, and pressed, the same now as in the 
old-fashioned dairies. The greater economy of 
test; this is to take a bar, or rod, of iron heated to 
a point somewhat less than a dull red heat, and 
bring it into contact with a piece of curd. If, when 
the hot-iron is drawn from the curd, it brings with 
it a quantity of glutinous strings, the curd is ready 
for removal from the vats. It is dipped out from 
these with the curd dipper, a pail having a flat side, 
as often with one as the other. The great differ- ! 
ence between the Hereford and Shorthorn is in 
the cost of production and the value of the product. 
The cost of production is one-fourth in favor of 
the Hereford. The product is worth from ten per j 
cent to fifteen per cent in the Hereford more than 
in the Shorthorn steer, and these points should 
always be borne in mind. And again, the Hereford j 
can be grazed and fitted for the butcher on pastures ! 
that would not keep a Shorthorn even in good 
store condition. These facts can be sustained. 
[While Mr. M. may believe the above to be all 
perfectly true, yet the fact that there a are hundred 
Shorthorn herds in existence for one of Herefords, 
must be taken to prove that, for some very good 
reasons, the Shorthorn is superior to the Hereford. 
Fashion must have something to back it. — Ed.] 
The Process of Cheese Making. 
The establishment of the factory system in the 
cheese dairy, has made no change in the method of 
labor in the factory, however, is seen at once in 
glancing over the apparatus used. After the re¬ 
ceiving and weighing of the milk, as shown in an 
illustration upon page 53, it is run into vats, which 
hold about COO gallons each. In these the milk is 
warmed to about 80% the proper temperature for 
coagulation; it is then well stirred to ensure the 
even distribution of heat, and the rennet is added 
and thoroughly mingled by stirring. The curdling 
is complete in 40 to 60 minutes, when the mass is 
stirred, or broken (fig. 3), by a many bladed curd 
knife into small blocks to facilitate its separation 
from the whey. When the curd has acquired suf¬ 
ficient firmness, it is more thoroughly broken, either 
by the hands or by what is known as an agitator. 
After the curd is broken up, heat is applied by 
means of steam pipes until the whey and curd to¬ 
gether are brought to a temperature of about 100 
degrees. During this heating the curd is stirred, 
and after the “cooking” is complete, it is left to 
rest, with occasional stirrings, until a proper degree 
of acidity, or rather approach to acidity, is observed 
in the whey. The whey is then drawn off, and the 
into a cooler, the vat being tipped by means of 
winches. This is shown at figure 4. The curd is 
left here to cool for afew minutes, when it is turned 
over and again left, to acquire a certain mellowness. 
It is then pressed for 10 minutes, when it is taken 
out, ground in the curd mill, (fig. 5,) and salted; 
two pounds of salt being used for 100 pounds of 
curd. The proper temperature of the curd is kept 
up during these processes by covering it with s 
cloth. After having been ground, and salted, the 
curd is put into the presses, (fig. 6,) in which it re 
mains under pressure for two or three days. The 
pressure, which is regulated by means of a screw, 
should be sufficient to force out the whey, 
and consolidate the cheese. It is obvious that 
much tact and experience are needed to produce 
cheese of first quality, when it is considered what a 
multitude of interfering and complicated changes 
may occur in the condition of the curd, through 
atmospheric effects, the quality of the milk, or the 
rennet, or unavoidable difficulties in securing the 
, precise degrees of heat or fermentation of the curd, 
j But iu the well managed cheese factory all danger of 
PRESSING THE CHEESE. 
■GRINDING THE CURD. 
producing the curd from the milk, or the cheese 
from the curd. The improvements have been 
wholly in the machinery used in the processes ; and 
in this respect the apparatus of the factories is con¬ 
stantly changing for the better. New contrivances 
for performing labor more easily, or for securing 
greater cleanliness or effectiveness in the methods 
curd is heaped in the vats and left to become sour. 
Upon the exact degree of acid that is developed in 
the curd, depends, in a great measure, the quality 
of the cheese ; and the skillful practice of an ex¬ 
perienced cheese maker is perhaps more needed just 
here than in any other part of the process. Those 
who need it can use what is known as the hot-iron 
failure is reduced to a minimum, as compared with 
the chances of a hundred small dairies all different¬ 
ly managed, and without the machinery needed for 
accurate manipulation. It is on account of this uni¬ 
formity in quality that the American factory cheese 
fills aplace in the markets of the world that no other 
dairy product has ever done, or is likelv to do. 
