The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-10-13
Cheese and Cheese Making IN Geauga
E County.

aIne little county OF Geauga, considoring
the extent OF territory and it's population 10
undoubtedly tho largest cheese producing
district 10 the United States. With an area
of only four hundred square miles. and q
population fserentecn thousand, the cheese
product OF the present season, wo are credi.
bly, informed. will amount to three million
pounds. 1t is mostly made at factories" :"
is of the finest quality, and commands tho
highest prices. AT the prices realized the
present season. the sales will amount 10 at
least hdGa million dollars Tho soil Of
tho cheese region is what is generally
termed yellow clay-Dot adapted TO grain
growing-but for grazing purposes cannot
be excelled.
We are not sufficiently conversant With
the process OF cheese making to give our
readers an intelligent description of the i'm
proved method adopted by the best cheese
makers. AS we have said, most Of tho
cheese manufactured in Geauga. and 10 fact
In several of the adjoining coun tee, is made
ut factories built expressly for the purpose,
with all the necessary appliances. This
plan was adopted because it ecouomised la
Dor. and gavo uniformity and an imprl I'D
quality to the product The operatives in
aheso factories are 10 oil cases experts at the
business, give 1t their constant atten ioH and
arc thus enabled to make O better article
than can be turned out from tho old FASH
ioDed farmers daires.
Moro than half the factories 10 Geauga
county are run by propriet0rs who purchase
mix by the gallon of farmers. o thcrs are
managed by the farmers themselves. on
joint stock principles. Those who sell to
manufacturers generally mako contracts 10
the spring at stated price per gallon, pay.
able monthly. The price paid this yesr 10
about 10 cents per gallon. vino measure
As you pass the grazing farms, on all the
roads through the county, you may observe
small platforms on the roadside adjoining
the pastures. On these are placed huge
miik.cans. receptacles for the iacteai prod.
ucts OF the farm. These are flied twice
each day, and conveyed to the factory. tho
conten 8 measured, (guaged) tested and BY
means OF a conductor conveyed directly in.
to the huge vat, where the milk in tho
course of few hours is transformed into
cheese. The instrument used for testing
mix. is very ingenious contrivance. called
a ldctometer, and by Its use even the slight.
est aduiteration can be readily detected.-I
we presume the main object in using such
IN instruments is to induce farmers to be
careful about keeping their cans covered In
rainy weather. for with our experience WITH
''milk- men" We cannot conceive how water
could get into the cans in any other man. |
ner. |
The 7ats ordinarily used are about twenty
feet long and four feet wide. Tbey arc so
constructed that a stream Of cold water
passes around the outer surface for tho Dur.
pose OF reducing the animal heat 10 the
milk TO lower temperature, whom rennet
H added which effects q separation of the
watery portion of the milk, tho whey. from
that portion Of its constituent elements
which forms tho cheese. A colorinp sub.
stance. annatto, is infused into the milk,
which gives the cheese rich orange tint
When the curd has formed. it is cut-first.
le3gthwise Of the vat. aud then trans versely
into narrow strips. During the process OF
manufacturing. the curd s heated or cook ed |
two or three times by means of steam, and
undergoes several manipulations at the
hands of tho operatives, before it is placed
into hoops aud pressed into cheese. The
processes of manufacture at the different
establishments are almost identical, varying
only in unimportant details. A low atmos.
pheric temperature 10 considered prefera.
b'e-hence tho best season for cheese max.
sDg is in the months Of October and Novem.
ber As soon as the cheese is removed from
the presses where it romans few hours, it
10 placed in drying house. turned upside
down daily, to secure an evenncss in drying,
and the surface rubbed to prevent the &C.
cumuIatiOn Of mould. After few weeks
OF this treatment. 1t is ready for market
whom II 10 placed in strong wooden boxes
for shipment.
The cost of manufacturing cheese In fac.
tories is but q fraction over one cent per
Poand. AgalIon of milk will make pou nd
OF cheese--and, Notwithstanding the unusu.
ally high price of butter, cheese making is
much more profitable than butter making.
Fashion governs In cHeeso making as in
everything else, and thus the size and form
OF cheese is constantly changing TO suit tn o
demands OF the market. One season q de-
mand will spring up for mammoth cheese,
TO be followed the next season by a desire
Tor something very small.
Mr. Il. j. Randall, of Chardon, Geaupa
county, an enterprising merchant, and a
heavy cheese and wool dealer, has bad a
factory in Chardon for two or three years
past. He makes as good AL article as is
torned out anywhere. He is manufactur
Ing, this season, In addition to tho cheese of
ordinary size, say go pounds, a large mum.
Der OF very small ones, weighing only ten
pounds cach. We have seen specimens of
the latter article, which are very fine in
deed, and as they are especially adapted
for family uso, they will undoubtedly meet
with ready sale.
During tho past two or three years much
OF the cheese made on the Western Reserve
has been shipped to Liverpool, Californis,
and Other distant markets. Tho Southern
market has been closed. or somewhat re.
stricted, but fortunately for Cheesedom, the
high rates OF foreign exchange have enabled
dealers to ship to foreign markets advanta.
goousy. This fall, the Southern demand
for cheese Is very great, and high prices un-