Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-09-08

milk cheese made from the milk of the Jer-
sey breed, and kindly procured by Professor
Arnold of Rochester, N. Y, Secretary of
the American Dairyman's Association.
Sample No. was sent on for examination
by Il. T. Ellsworth Esq, of Barre, Mass,
aud according to statement manufactured
from SKINNED milk with an addition of but
termilk
Sample No. 3 was kindly furnished at my
solicitation by II. d. Gardner, Esq, of Nc.
Lean, N. Y, and represented as a specimen
Of genuine oleomargarin cheese, about ten
months old when tested. The analytical re.
suits, although secured with great care, have
only comparative value. A good cheese
contains usually fat and casein in similar
relative proportion as the material which
served for its manufacture. Time alters in.
variably the original composition of the
cheese independent Of the variations in mois.
ture. The absolute quantity of both fat and
casein dimnishes with the increase of age.
The neutral fats Of the milk-those of the
,ower order, as butyrin, in particular-are
gradually decomposed into free acids and
glycerine. Most conspicuous among the for
mer is the butyric acid, on account of its
Objectionable odor. The nitrogenous con-
titueut Of the oheese-the casein-also suf.
fers transformation not yet satisfactorily
studied in its details, which are accompanied
with the production of various nitrogen.con.
tanning compounds, as ammonia and leucine
besides volatile acids similar to butyric acid
Alterations of this kind occur sooner or
later; they differ merely in degrees. The
peculiar nature Of the compounds resulting,
and the rate at which these changes take
place depend largely on the mode pursued
in the manufacture, and also on the compos-
sition of the material used for the produc.
tion Of the cheese. One OF the most vary
ing constituents in the cheese is the moisture
1t has been found to vary from "a to so per
cent. Softness Of the cheese is not always
a reliable basis to judge the state of moist
urc by. Skim-milk cheese, as general
rule, has been found to contain larger per-
centagc of moisture than rich qualities of
cheese. The peculiar condition Of the cas-
Elm seems to exert an influence on the capac.
ity oi the cheese to retain moisture. The
question of chcapening the cost of cheese
has Of late engaged considerable attention.
Various propositions have been advanced in
this connection some of them have already
been introduced into practice with more or
less encouraging propects Of success. What
ever opinion we may entertain regarding the
moral effect Of that late tendency among
dairymen on the future prospects of the
dairy business of the country, as far as our
expectation is concerned, it seems but fair
to concede that all honest attempts to reduce
the price of any article of food without Sc
riousy impairing its efficiency, are not only
| legitimate, but deserve encouragement, pro.
vided the new articles produced are offered
in the general market by their own proper
name, aud thus ask for patronage on their
own merits.
To recognize the privilege Of tho individ-
ual manufacturer to be his judge in the Sc
lection of some particular mode Of operation,
is however not to be construed into a partic-
ular endorsement of any or all Of the recent
propositions to cheaper the cost Of cheese
for each Of them advances its separ.
ate claims of advantages The argu.
meats which are cited in favor of removing
more or less of the cream from the milk be-
fore using it for the manufacture Of cheese,
are in the main everywhere the same,-
namely:
l. Relative cheapness Of the product re.
sulting.
2. More successful management of tho op.
Grafton
3. Increased value of the cheese as n
highly nitrogenous article of food.
Conceding the force Of the first two points,
| hesitate to accept the third one without
some reservation.
The comparative value of an article of
food does not depend entirely upon the high
percentage of nitrogenous constituents but,
besides, certain amount and kind Of sail
ness, or proper relative proportion Of its
nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous proximate
constituents. Wherever under normal con-
ditions diet is used, which introduces nj
trogenous compounds beyond certain pro-
portion, it will be wasted. The deficiencies
in one kind of food have to be supplied by
some other one which completes the require
ments of a healthy diet. The best quality
of cheese, still less the skim milk cheese, can
not be considered complete article of food
in the same sense of the word as milk or
bread Both kinds Of cheese have to be
supplemented in some way to produce COM
plete food. The question turns evidently
merely about more or less of other kinds Of
food OF a non-nitrogenous character. As
long, therefore, as the question refers simply
TO the production Of a rich or concentrated
nltrogenous article Of food, it seems but lit
tie Objectionable to remove, in the interest
OF economy, more or less Of the cream from
the milk before turning it into cheese. There
are, however, some other points to be con-
sidered, when discussing the relative value of
various articles Of food. The form in which
their proXimate constituents are present, DO
serves serious attention. To ascribe to the
casein in the milk, and to that contained in
the cheese with its respective associated com.
pounds, the same value as a constituent of
our food, in view Of their dissimilar action
on our digestive organs, can scarcely be
called judicious decision. 1t would be a
singular fact If the various conditions of the
nitrogenous constituent Of tho cheese, in its
various stages Of progressing disintegration,
should not effect its comparative value as
food. Chemical analysis is, no doubt a very
valuable means TO assist in tho investigation
Of the general character of our food yet a
simple analysis Of its elementary compost.
tion, or even that OF its proximate constitu-
ents, does not furnish the sole basis for our
, decisions regarding the comparative value Of
/ several articles Of food. What becomes oI
: our food when passing through our system
! is Of main Importance, and controls the ulti-
5 mate decision. The current practice among
, a certain class Of agricultural writers tC
, judge the feeding value of our several crops
J by some chemical analytical statements, in
! terferes not less with the dissemination of .
rational system of feeding, than in former