220 
MR. Norton’s letters.—no. 6. 
morticed through the beam for a chain, to which 
the team is hitched, and from two to three yoke of 
oxen are necessary according to the nature of the 
bog. 
One stout man, after some practice, may hold the 
machine steady, and will work it fast enough to 
keep two men busy in cleaning away the bogs after 
him. E. Jackson. 
Middletown, Ct., May 1 9th, 1847. 
Mr, Norton’s Cetters.—No- $• 
With a view to the gratification of your cheese¬ 
making subscribers, I send you this month a trans¬ 
lation of directions for the manufacture of the cele¬ 
brated Gouda cheese, considered by the Dutch them¬ 
selves as their choicest variety. These directions 
were published by some of the largest dealers in 
cheese of Rotterdam. 
Experience has shown that, in the following 
summer, and in accordance with the accompanying 
recautions, cheese can be made which has neither 
itterness, toughness, nor want of solidity, defects 
very common, and which cannot be too carefully 
avoided. 
In the commencement, care should be taken that 
the sun does not shine upon the milk ; the vessels 
in which it is received should be provided with 
covers. As soon as the milk is brought to the 
house, it should be strained into a tub, and the 
rennet added, the tub then to be carefully covered 
so as to retain as much as possible of the natural 
heat of the milk. Three or four hours after the 
addition of rennet to the milk it must be strained, 
and the curd slowly broken with a wooden instru¬ 
ment ; this is uninterruptedly continued until the 
curd has become fine and separated from the whey. 
After this it is left to settle four hours, to separate 
as much more of the whey as possible.' It is now 
kneaded with the hand, separating still another' 
portion of the whey. After this working it is 
placed in the cheese-press and worked anew to 
render it fine again, and also by this it is strongly 
packed into the press, which, being full, a cloth is 
laid over it, and the cheese turned over. The bot¬ 
tom now turned up, being broken, is smoothed by 
the hand, and covered by the follower. Upon this 
follower is laid a weight corresponding to the in¬ 
tended weight of the cheese. 
The cheese must be turned every hour, and after 
three hours taken from the press, the first cloth.re¬ 
placed with a dry one ; it is then again covered 
with the follower and the weight laid upon it dou¬ 
bled, care being had that the side that was before 
under is now above; the cheese is pressed nine 
hours by this weight, and must be turned once in 
three hours. 
At the end of nine hours the cheese is again 
taken from the press, the cloth is removed, and it is 
placed in the pickle-float; the part floating above 
the pickle is covered with coarse salt to the thick¬ 
ness of three guldens (about the same as three dol¬ 
lars in thickness). This pickle must not be 
stronger than fifteen degrees of Baume; if. it is 
used stronger than this it is liable to crack the 
cheese. 
The cheese remains in this pickle twenty-four 
hours, and during this time is turned twice, always 
taking care that it is covered with salt. It is now 
placed in a pickle of twenty degrees Baume, in 
which it is turned once in twelve hours, always 
being covered with salt. At the expiration of 
eight or nine days, it is taken from the pickle and 
washed, after which it is placed on the stand or 
shelves, and should be turned at least once a day. 
All of the above directions have reference to 
cheeses weighing ten Dutch pounds (equal to about 
21 lbs. English). 
Principal rules to be observed. 
1. Never to employ warm water or whey in the 
working of the cheese. 
2. The pickle for the rennet as well as for the 
floating vessel, must not be stronger than fifteen de¬ 
grees, and for the pickling tub must always be 
twenty degrees of Baume. 
3. The bottom of. the cheese press should be as 
flat as possible. 
4. Whatever the weight of the cheese, the curd 
must be finely divided, and the whey perfectly 
pressed or wrung out. 
5. In warm weather the cheese requires more 
salt, and is thus more quickly salted. Seven or 
eight days in summer, when the air is warm, are 
equal to ten or twelve days in cold weather or in 
autumn. 
Directions for the Preparation of Dutch Rennet.— 
For twenty-five lebber (the Dutch name for the 
calves’ stomachs), take seven Netherlands pounds 
of pickle of fifteen degrees Baume. The Jebben 
must be cut in bits of the length of a half finger. 
The pot containing it should be well covered, and 
set in a warm place. After ten days the solution 
becomes good, but if allowed to stand twenty days 
it should then be strained through a muslin cloth, 
or a very fine sieve, and preserved in air-tight bot¬ 
tles. Not more than two table-spoonfuls of this are 
necessary for ten Netherlands pounds of cheese. 
This rennet should thoroughly curdle the milk in . 
three-fourths of an hour; if sooner than that, it is 
too strong, and if longer, a little more must be added 
to assist its operation. ‘ 
Reference is made above to fifteen and twenty 
degrees Baume-. This is an instrument contrived 
by M. Baume for measuring the strength of solu¬ 
tions by their density. I have not his tables by 
me, but as nearly as I can calculate that pickle of 
twenty degrees, referred to, contains about 21 per 
cent, of salt, and is therefore very strong. In one 
of the tables given by Berzelius it is stated that a 
saturated solution of common salt contains 29 per 
cent, of salt. John P. Norton. 
Utrecht, Holland, May 6th, 1847 . 
Zinc Pans injurious to Cream. —Zinc vessels 
or pans for cream have of late been extensively 
used in some parts of Europe under the impression 
that they favored the accumulation of a large quan¬ 
tity of cream. It has been recently ascertained, 
however, that the presence of the milk, and espe¬ 
cially after it has become sour, has the effect of dis¬ 
solving the metal, a part of which is held in solu¬ 
tion, and another portion is converted into salts. 
In either condition this is a most deleterious com¬ 
pound, and the honest dairyman will not, after this 
discovery, permit zinc pans to be used on his pre* 
mises. 
