FUNGI IN CHEESE RIPENING. 103 
The great popularity of Roquefort cheese makes information 
as to the biology of its ripening processes very desirable. To 
this end numerous specimens of Roquefort have been purchased 
and analyzed. ‘The results of this work have been very much 
simpler than the studies of Camembert. The ordinary Roque- 
fort cheese, before it is sent to the market, is carefully cleaned 
and covered with tin foil. Its surface would, therefore, tell 
very little. When cut it is seen to be traversed by channels or 
holes made by the Prickelmachine and by cracks. Every 
air space is lined with green Penicillium so that the cut 
surface is said to be marbled with green. The texture of 
the cheese is reasonably uniform with every indication that 
ripening is simultaneous throughout the cheese or at least ap- 
proximately so. Its texture is rather crumbling than waxy, 
with a tendency to dissolve readily in the mouth. The 
taste is characteristic, a sharp flavor, in which a rather high 
salt content is noticeable. Its odor is strong, cheesy rather 
than offensive in any way, except as pronounced putrefactive 
odors are sometimes developed in the rind. Cultures from the 
surface often show various species of fungi. There is no 
regularity about the surface, however, while uniformity of 
texture and appearance is universal on the inside. Cultures 
from the interior show a remarkable uniformity. In many 
cheeses examined a pure culture of a single species of Peni- 
cillium has been found. The extremely rare appearance of 
any other mold in the cultures has been remarkable. Similarly 
the bacterial content is usually limited to typical lactic forms. 
Sufficient analyses have been made to establish clearly that a 
first-class Roquefort cheese should contain only lactic bacteria 
and: the Roquefort Penicillium. This Penicillium is often re- 
ferred to by writers as P. glancum and regarded as the common 
green species, but as it has very characteristic morphological 
and physiological characters it seems best to designate it as the 
Roquefort Penicillium, even though it quite often occurs upon 
other substrata. : 
The cultures which have been conducted in connection with 
the study of Camembert cheese have shown that the Roquefort 
Penicillium is capable of digesting curd very completely. Here 
as in Camembert cheese, chemical analyses have shown that the 
derivatives of casein become almost completely water soluble. 
