IOO STORRS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
“ 
INOCULATION WITH PENICILLIUM. 
With the Penicillium however numerous experiments indi- 
cate that there is much advantage in early and effective inocu- 
lation from the cultures of known purity. Whether such 
inoculation must be always made from specially grown labora- 
tory cultures is questionable. In factory practice, making 
room and ripening cellar are usually adjacent rooms. If pre- 
cautions are taken always to have on hand some cheeses bear- 
ing pure cultures (and the cheese maker must know his mold 
so well that there will be no question about it) one or two such 
cheeses will furnish enough inoculation material for much 
newly made product. ‘This would be indicated by the rough 
calculation that from the abundance of the chains of fruit and 
the size of the spores (.005 millimeters in diameter) probably 
there are about enough spores produced to cover evenly the 
surface upon which they grow, perhaps 25,000,000 to the 
squareinch. Very successful inoculation in seventy-five pounds 
of milk has commonly been secured by tapping a petri dish 
culture over the vat or by breaking a piece of cracker about an 
inch square or less and stirring it into the milk. 
The most economical and successful method of inoculation 
so far devised has been the use of sprinkling jar or can. For 
this purpose holes one millimeter or less in diameter in the jar 
lid ‘are demanded. A small amount of water is put into the jar, 
a piece of cracker or cheese covered with mold is broken into 
the water, the top is'then screwed on and the jar thoroughly 
shaken. The water is then sprinkled upon the newly made 
cheese at the time of first turning, so that both sides of each 
cheese receive a few drops of water. Excellent results have 
been obtained in this way with the smallest amount of inocu- 
lating material and the least requirement of labor and skill. Such 
a jar should be emptied and washed immediately after using. 
The mixture is made fresh each time. Milk may be used in- 
stead of water as was first suggested and tried by Dr. Conn, 
but the water has been found the most easily managed. The 
practical method for factory use will probably vary with the 
conditions and skill of the maker. 



en £5 i 
