The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-12-11
The Model Cheese Factory

This factory is situated on the northwest
ern edge of the village of Whitesboro, N. Y,
about four miles west of Utica. 1t is one of
the oldest chaase factories in the state, there
being not more than three or four that can
claim priority of existence. 1t was built in
1862, by DR.. L. L. Wright and George Will
Jams, son of Jesse Williams of Rome, to
whom Is generally given the credit of inaug-
urating associated dairying in America. It
had originally all the crudities of structure
and arrangement that characterized the first
factories; but it soon passed into the hands of
DIR. Wright, who is progressive man, and
he has improved and modernized it, supply-
ing it with all the most approved apparatus
and appliances, until few of its earlier peculi-
arities are left. There is one feature, how
ever, which survives, and is not SO easy to
get rid Of 1t is something over four feet
fall from the weighing-cans to the top of the
cheese vats. This sends the milk with
furious rush into the strainer, and would
wash through it almost every thing that
might happen to be in the milk were this dis
advantage not guarded against by peculiar
device, to which it may be said to have given
invention. 1t is tin strainer, round or
square, setting in frame. The bottom is
tight, and on this the milk dashes, to be run
Off through wire-strainer cloth set in the
sides, about an inch or so from the bottom.
This is very good form of strainer for use
anywhere.
The building sits in the bank formed BY
raising the highway as it approaches the
canal bridge close by. The second story and
platform for weighing are on level with the
road, and one side OF which the teams with
milk drive up to the factory. The cans are
raised out of the wagon by means of a large
Whhai, around the shaft of which winds a
rope that runs over pulley under the caves,
where the end of 1t is convenient for the use
oil raising the cans. Over the large wheel
passes small chain, which is run through
pulley in the floor beneath, and comes in
convenient reach of the hand of the Weigher.
This chain neither shrinks nor SKETCHES mat
eriaily, and is considered preferable to a rope.
The milk is dumped into the weighing-cans,
quickly balanced, and soon finds its way into
vas below, where, in summer, the nights
milk may be cooled by running cold spring
water under and around it. But during the
season now closing, patrons have delivered
milk but once day-in the morning. They
have been required, however, to cool as soon
as milised, and deliverait in good condition.
Inc maximum amount of milk received daily
mas been $4,000 pounds, and the minimum
tOct. p was 10000, requiring three ordinary
sized watts for its manufacture.
The factory is, and has been for several
years, under the immediate direction of Mr..
w. M. Gates. 1t never has done better work
than it has this season. As it is so well
known, and takes rank among the first on
the Utica market, description OF its mode
OF manufacture will be of interest to many.
Bavarian rennets are used as being of the
most uniform strength, cheapest and most
reliable, costing only cents apiece. Enough
OF the liquid preparation is used 10 cause CO.
agulation to begin in Is minutes by the
watch. 1t is fit to cut in one hour to one
hour and half, according to the weather and
the condition OF the milk. 1t is cut length
wise with perpendicular curd-knife, and
then cross-cut with horizontal one until it
Is quite fine more than ordinarily fine, and
liner than the curds of this factory have been
cut during former seasons. 1t is found that
1t secures more complete separation of the
whey, and avoids clamminess of the cheese.
The curd is then gradually heated with dry
steam up to 9Se. This process usually takes
about 1t hours, but the time is varied by the
condition of the milk. Here the
temperature is held as nearly as
possible, until the acid begins to
show. The whey is then drawn off, one end
OF the vat lowered, the curd taken from the
lower end, and the whole divided in the mid
die and piled up along the sides of the vat,
where 1t is allowed to remain, with OCCASION
al turning. and the acid shows threads IL
inches long, by the hot-iron test. This is
more acid than was formerly developed. 1t
is then thrown into the curd-sink, run under
a Macadam curd-mill propelled by a small
oscillating engine, ground, and sailed at the
rate OF pounds of salt to 1000 pounds of
milk. During hot weather, p pounds of salt
were used. As the curd is well drained and
ground, this is heavier sailing than 8 pounds
would be if The curd were dripped and sailed
soon after leaving the vat, in which case
GOOD deal OF the salt would run off with the
whey, The nrpssinO s d0nQ in a Er9Znr
gang press. and the curing is done in sep
arate building, provided with means of keep
ing tolerable even temperature at all sea-
sons of the year. Two branches are run in
connection with the main factory-the Walls
vile, which DIR. Wright has had for years,
and Coleman's Mills, which he bought year
or two since. But these are really two sep
crate small factories, as they do all their own
curing, and are simply under the doctors
supervision. Like the large factory, they
have done well this season, and generally
sold at the highest market figures,