448 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Junz, 1902. 
The experiments which we have been making have been with reference to 
the use of very much lower temperatures than those heretofore employed. In 
making these experiments a large mass of milk was taken, and from this was. 
made, under exactly the same conditions, a number of cheese. 
These cheese were all made in one vat, so as to secure uniform conditions 
with reference to manufacture, and then they were placed at various ripening 
temperatures ranging from 15 degrees Fabr. up to 50 degrees Fahr. Under 
these conditions, if we secure a very marked difference in the product, it 
ought to be attributed to the ripening temperature, inasmuch as the manu- 
facture was the same throughout. 
Our experience has demonstrated that the quality of the product which 
was secured under these temperature conditions was generally better the lower 
the temperature at which the cheese was cured, with the exception of those 
kept below the freezing point. In these cases, in spite of the fact that the 
cheese was kept below the freezing point, they were of fairly good quality 
when properly handled after they were taken from the coldroom. The cheese 
which we have found to be the best were those which were cured at a 
temperature ranging from 35 to 40 degrees or thereabouts ; these were better 
than those at 50 degrees; those kept at 50 degrees were better than those at 
60 degrees. This leads us to believe that much lower temperatures than have: 
heretofore been considered advisable may be used with very considerable 
success in ripening Cheddar cheese. 
There are just a few points with reference to these cold-cured cheeses that I 
wish to call your attention to. In the first place there is the question of 
flavour. The flavour of these cheese cured at these abnormally low tempera- 
tures is very mild. It is a good, clean flavour in every way, in spite of the 
fact that there is a popular opinion, I believe, that cheese cured at what we 
might call cold storage temperature very frequently have a bitter flavour. 
With reference to the texture of these cheese, in many respects they 
were practically perfect. They were thoroughly broken down, so that the. 
texture was as satisfactory as could be asked for. 
It is noteworthy that a comparison of the cheese from a physical point of: 
view in connection with the chemical analysis show that they have not broken, 
down chemically as far as their physical appearance would indicate. With 
reference to the body of cheese, they were close and meaty, except in those 
cases where excessive quantities of rennet were employed. 
With reference to the colour of the cheese, they were perfectly even in 
colour, except in those instances where the body of the cheese was a little 
loose ; in which case the colour was cut around these openings. This, I should 
say, only happens in the case of cheese made with increased quantities of 
rennet. - : 
There is one other characteristic of these cheese which is quite remarkable, 
not only from the practical point of view, but at the same time from a scientific: 
point of view. In cheese cured at 40 degrees or below there appear throughout 
the entire mass of cheese very small, almost microscopic, white specks. The nature 
of these I need not go into here in connection with this subject, for that is a 
matter that is still under investigation. These white specks are not apparent 
when the cheese is in the cold storage room, but when a cheese is taken out 
and warmed up they become apparent. At first we thought this was a serious 
defect, a handicap upon the appearance, and that they would injure the sale a 
good deal ; but Mr. Baer, in his work throughout the State, has had occasion 
to examine cheese kept in cold storage in different portions of the State, and he 
has found that the presence of these white specks is not at all uncommon ; 
that, in fact, in most of the storage goods which he examined they were quite- 
evident. They are not readily noticed in the early stage of curing—in fact, we 
recognised them upon the photographic plate before we did with the unaided 
eye; but afterwards we found, upon very close examination, that they were- 
present in all of our product kept at low temperature. They have absolutely no 
effect upon the flavour of the cheese, and do not injure it in any way except, of 
