THE CULTIVATOK. 
133 
^Domestic Qfronomn. 
In vol. 9, page 167 of the Cultivator, we gave a de¬ 
scription of this press, (fig. 41.) At that time it had not 
been generally used; but since then, experience has fully 
tested its superiority. We placed one, which had been 
sent us, in the hands of Messrs. H. P. & G. Allen, of Du- 
anesburgh, well known as extensive manufacturers of 
cheese, and after giving it a thorough trial, they have 
forwarded us the following certificate. 
Messrs. Editors— We have had one of Mesr#?. Col¬ 
lins & Stone’s Patent Cheese-Presses in use the past 
season, and consider it much superior to any thing of the 
kind we have before seen, and think the properties of 
this press need only to be known, to bring it into general 
use. H. P. & G. Allen. 
Duanesburgh, Feb. 1844. 
N. B. Mr. L. Kennedy, Jr. of Hartford, Ct., is ge¬ 
neral agent for this press. 
CHEESE MAKING. 
Our Canadian correspondent, “Enquirer,” says—“If 
it would not be trespassing too much on your indulgence, 
I would solicit an article on the best method of making 
cheese, either from your own experience, or that of some 
experienced cheese maker. I do not recollect meeting 
with any thing of the kind in your publication for this 
year, (1843,) or at any rate, nothing sufficiently explicit 
to enable a beginner to count upon success. The best 
method of reserving the oily particles to the cheese, and 
. the same time expressing the whey well, is not well 
understood in this country. There appears to be variant 
opinions with regard to the method of separating the 
whey from the curd, also of the proper way and time of 
salting it. It has been observed to me that the Americans 
incorporate a little lard with their cheese, thereby im¬ 
parting the mellowness so much desired in that article.” 
If Enquirer will turn to the 147th page of the Cultiva¬ 
tor for 1843, he will find the concluding part of one of 
the best papers on the subject of the dairy or cheese ma¬ 
king, yet published in this country; but as the present 
volume will pass into many new hands, we shall give an 
article which we hope will meet the wishes of our cor¬ 
respondent and others. 
Having had considerable experience in the dairy busi¬ 
ness, we have found that there are so many things to be 
taken into consideration, that all rules for their manage¬ 
ment must be more or less general; and no directions, 
however minute, can compensate for experience. In 
large dairies, curds are turned, or cheeses made, at both 
morning and night; in smaller ones, the night’s milk is 
set, and the Cheese made in the morning; in still smaller 
ones, the milk of two or three days is required to make a 
cheese, and of course different methods must be adopted 
in each case. We shall suppose the quantity of milk 
given at two milkings, to make a cheese of some 30 or 
40 lbs. weight, a medium perhaps of our dairies. 
In making the rennet, the dried stomach of a calf is the 
best material; it should be cut in small pieces, soaked in 
water or sweet whey, to which must be added salt enough 
to keep it sweet; and at the pleasure of the maker, sage, 
summer savory, or other aromatic herbs. If the rennet 
is properly made, a gill will be sufficient for a cheese of 
20 lbs.; but its strength can only be ascertained by ex¬ 
periment. If too much is used, the cheese will be puffy 
and strong; if not enough, the curd will not be formed, 
and a waste of milk will ensue. 
In hot weather it will be found necessary to reduce the 
temperature of the milk drawn at night, to 50 to 55 deg. 
of the thermometer, which is best done by placing the 
pans or vessels in cold water. In the morning, the cream 
must be carefully skimmed off and put in a pan. As the 
milk when set, should be of the temperature of 90 to 95 
deg., the quantity of milk to be warmed, will depend on 
the external air; as in a cool day, the milk of the morn¬ 
ing will be lower than in a warm day, and a too low 
temperature must be guarded against. Into this milk 
while warming, the cream taken off, must be put, and 
ra : s ,1 d to such a temperature that when it is united in the 
tuL> with the remainder, and with the morning’s milk, the 
temperature may be about 90 deg. Sometimes it is ne¬ 
cessary to warm the whole night's milk; but this is only 
in very cold weather; while when the weather is warm, 
the cream may be put in the strainer and melted by pour¬ 
ing the warm morning’s milk over it. The thermome¬ 
ter in these cases, must, however, be the guide; and the 
operations of the dairy cannot well be conducted without 
this instrument. 
When the proper warmth has been given to the milk, 
and the cream fully incorporated, the rennet is to be add¬ 
ed, and thoroughly stirred into the mass. The time al¬ 
lowed for coagulation will depend on the strength of the 
rennet; and if good, an hour will be about the proper 
time; during which, more or less of the cream will nat¬ 
urally rise to the surface. When properly coagulated, 
the curd will bear a slight pressure on its surface without 
breaking; but experience here is much the best guide. 
To prevent the escape of what cream may rise with the 
whey, it should be carefully skimmed to one side of the 
tub, and covered with some of the coagulated milk laid 
upon it with a skimmer. The whole is then carefully 
broken up with a cutter like a long wooden knife. Much 
is depending on this operation, as if not well done, the 
buttyraceous matter which gives character and excellence 
to the cheese, will be carried off by the whey and lost. 
A coarse strainer or cloth, is best thrown over the curd, 
through which the whey is dipped as it rises, as long as 
it can be dipped conveniently. The curd is then again 
broken up, and the whey more completely dipped off than 
before. Some of the first whey is to be heat as soon as 
dipped off, for the purpose of scalding the curd. Great 
care must be taken not to scald the curd too much. Two 
pailsful at 130 deg. will scald a curd of 20 lbs.; but the 
weather and the quantity of curd must be consulted to de¬ 
termine correctly. When the hot whey is poured oh, 
the curd should be broken up and mixed by hand, that 
all parts may be equally treated, and made as fine as it 
can be broken. It is now removed to a strainer and bas¬ 
ket, and when the curd is drained, it is returned to the 
tub for salting. Half an ounce of good salt to a pound 
of cheese, will prove a good rule, but the taste of the 
dairy woman is perhaps as good a regulator of this mat¬ 
ter as any. The salt must be pure and fine, and thor¬ 
oughly mixed with the curd, or it will not ripen equally, 
and the unsalted places will acquire a bad flavor. 
The pressure required, mainly depends on the size. 
The curd is put into the hoop or vat in a strainer, and re¬ 
mains in the press about two hours. It is then removed, 
placed in a dry cloth, and returned to the press. I i 
should not remain in the press wfthout turning, longer 
than five or six hours at a time, and from 24 to 36 hours 
will be necessary to complete the operation. A power 
of from 80 to 100 pounds for every 15 pounds of cheese, 
will be a sufficient pressure. Where large cheeses are 
made, it has become a common practice to pass a band¬ 
age made of thin cotton cloth, of the same width as the 
thickness of the cheese, around -them, and secure it by 
stitching it together at the extremities. This will pr»- 
