Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-06-05
HBRKIMER COUNTY CHEESE.

Herkimer County in n. Y, has long been
celebrated for its dairy production, and for
cheese especially, of which large quantities are
annually sent to Great Britain, in addition to
that consumed in our own country. According
to a table in a late number of the Farmers
Magazine, (Eng.,) there was exported from this
country to Great Britain and Ireland from Sep
TENDER 1859, to September 1860, 1912 tons of
cheese the average price paid for it in this
country, being nearly ten cents per pound.
Herkimer is one of the interior counties OF
the State, and is divided by the Mohawk river
The rich dairy lands being in the southern part
of the county. The rock underlying the soil is
chiefly Utica slate, which according to Emmons
contains more than ten per cent, of organic
matter, and is charged with sulphur, and con-
tans lime, and when near the surface forms
soil rich in fertilizing elements not easily ex-
haustible.
The manufacture of cheese has been the lead
ing agricultural pursuit in the county for more
than thirty years, during which time great i'm
provements have been made, not only in the
manufacture of cheese, but in everything else
connected with the dairy; the quantity of cheese
made annually per COW having been increased
from 800 pounds to 800, 600 and often up to
700 and more pounds.
An article upon "Cheese Dairying in Herki-
1t is from the pen of Y. A. Willard one of the
most practical farmers of the county, and
abounds in information of the same character.
We propose to copy those divisions relating to
the treatment of the milk and process of manu-
facture.
TIE RENNET
1.-The stomach of the calf in emptied of its
contents ami not rinsed and with slight
sprinkling of salt may remain in an earthern
dish for two or three days, when it is thorough
~ rubbed with salt, stretched on hoop and
hung in dry room i'll moderate heat to be
used when year or more old.
A stone jar holding six gallons is used for
stepping the rennet, "a wooden vessel is obiec-
tionable on account of its liability to become
tainted,) and here let me say that rennet is
peculiarly liable to become tainteG, and requires
close attention and frequent stirring with salt.
Tainted rennet is the source of infinite mischief
to the dairy, even when the faint is so slight as
to be unsupported. produ es ills well known
to the dairymen, hufiing, rapid decom position,
nauseous stenches, the breeding of m ties, and
often the entire loss of cheese.
Six rennets are used at a time, with salt in
sufficient quantities, so that when the lar is fill
ed with water, there shall always be residuum
of salt at the bottom. This is allowed TO steep
a week, when it is fit for use and its strength
determined. Ii good rennets are used, two
gills of the liquid will be sufficient for seventy
gallons or more of milk. A few cloves, and
two or three lemons, sliced = are sometimes tied
together in cloth and stepped with the rennet
but are not considered essential as improving
the quality of cheese.
TREATMENT OF MILK.
The evenings and mornings mild from
twenty to fifty COWS is taken TO make one cheese.
The evenings milk is usually strained directly
after milking into the tub or vat where the
cheese is to be made. and in warm weather will
require to be cooled down, that it will keep
sweet during the night, and may not sour dur
ing the process of its manufacture in o cheese.
This is effected in various ways, by passing run
ming water through tin worm immersed in the
milk: by placing large tin coolers filled with
water and ice in the milk or by having water
running, or otherwise surrounding the tin vat
1t makes but little difference how this is effect
ed, provided the milk is kept at the proper
temperature to secure the desired object il
should not be kept too COOL because cold, like
heat may be i'll excess for it is a well ascer-
tanned fact that milk is injured by being kept at
too low temperature and will not produce so
large quantity of cheese. Again, it is desira-
BILE that all the cream therefore rising on the
evenings milk the less waste The cream
when once risen, cannot be easily made to take
the same relative position that it at first occu-
pied in the milk, and therefore cannot all be
worked up in the cheese without more or less
waste, but a little attention to these points by
the person having charge of the dairy, will
readily suggest what is necessary with regard
TO the treatment of milk, in order to secure the
best results. All the utensils about the dairy
must be kept scrupulously clean and sweet, es-
pecally those that come in contact with the
milk. The tub or vat should be provided with
a graduated scale, either at the sides or on a
rule, so that the number of gallons of milk can
nj once be ascertained.
by this means the daryman can always tell
whether his cows are losing or gaining from day
to day, and he has some basis for determining
the quantity of rennet and salt to be used for
each cheese. The whole of the milk should be
heated together, at once and alike. The prac-
tce of heating the milk to high temperature
for the purpose of warming the rest, is neither
convenient nor economical an apparatus,
therefore, for heating all the milk alike, it will
be seen is important"
An elderly lady who was handling pair of
Il T.. 4 4 ,flso