wee STORRS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
of the growth of bacteria and molds from the time the cheese is 
made until the close of the ripening. This pointed to inocula- 
tion as the best means of reaching the desired result. Experi- 
ence has justified this conclusion at every step. The use of 
lactic starters in butter making had already established a simple 
means of controlling the development of bacteria. ‘The control 
of the molds was a more difficult problem, inasmuch as there 
are at least two different molds, and to obtain a desired result 
depends upon keeping the proper balance between these two 
organisms growing upon the same surface, but having different 
functions. We have learned that by varying the conditions 
and growth of the Penicillium we can, to a large extent, con- 
trol the development of the other mold. Oidium will not grow 
profusely upon a cheese already covered with the white mold, 
and by developing a luxuriant growth of the latter we can hold 
the former largely in check. Cheeses in which the Oidium has 
not developed abundantly are mild in flavor or lacking entirely in 
the typical Camembert flavor. We have succeeded in producing 
cheeses perfectly ripened so far as texture #$ concerned, but 
flavorless; others with the flavor distinctly developed but mild, 
and others again with a strongly developed Camembert flavor. 
Our experiments thus far seem to show that by controlling the 
growth of these two molds we can control both ripening and 
flavor production, although as above suggested we have not 
yet absolutely excluded the possibility that bacteria may play 
some part in the process of flavor production. 
The important practical problem then appears to be to devise 
methods of treatment that will enable the cheese maker to con- - 
trol the growth of micro-organisms, and primarily the lactic 
bacteria and two species of molds. The control of the first pro- 
cess of souring of the curd is very easy. It is only necessary to 
apply here the method now so widely used in cream ripening, 
the inoculation of the milk with lactic starters. These starters, 
if placed in fresh milk, ensure a proper souring with perfect 
uniformity. 
The control of mold growth is a more difficult matter, because 
of the great likelihood that the cheeses in handling will become 
inoculated on the surface with other than the desired organisms. 
The solution of the problem; however, appears to be found in 
proper attention to three factors. 
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