The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-01-18
Cheese and Soil

Every now and then statement is
circulated that there are only certain
limited localities in which it is possible
TO make the finest grades of cheese
Great importance is attached to some
mysterious quality of soil, or some pc
culiarity of the water, or to some specific
variety of grass, or to \ multitude DIVA
rieties, or perhaps it is assumed TO be .
question Of blowing and reseeding, or
not plowing at all, old pastures being
the essential point Such opinions are
not uncommon. In Central New York
the Frankfort and Utica States were at
one time supposed to be unequaled for
fine cheese IN the United States, but il
has turned out that Just as good cheese
can now be made elsewhere
1t is not many years since there was
current opinion among dairymen in the
States, and among Canadians them
selves, that Canada could never compete
with the United States in cheese. There
was something, it was thought, in the
soil, especially around Ingerson, where
cheese factories were first introduced,
which made the cheese hard and insipid
and lacking in richness. But all this is
now changed In three competitive
trials Canada has beaten the States. and
to-day the cheese of Western Ontario, of
which Ingersoll is the center. stands un-
surpassed IN the markets of England and
Scotland. In Great Britain similar no
tons prevail for which no better reasons
have ever been assigned, and which ap-
pear to be equally groundless. The as
sertion that first-ciass Cheddar cheese
can only be made in one or two counties
of England and Scotland is not sustained
by facts.
The fact is. fancy cheese is confined to
no spot in this or any other country
The quality of cheese does not necessa-
rily depend on soil or climate. 1t is de-
termined by the adaptation of manu-
facture to the varying conditions of milk.
Soil, to a limited extent, affects the quail
ity of milk 1t affects both its cheesy
matter and its Aavoring oils; but, by
adapting the manufacture to suit yaria-
tions, fancy cheese can be turned out
anywhere that healthy milk can be pro-
dnced- The same may be said of butter.
The dairyman who complains that he
cannot make good cheese IN this place or
that. because the soil, or the water, or
the grass viii not admit of his doing so,
may safely be set down as not under
standing his business. He makes cheese
by stereotyped rules empirically. and
without regard to or knowledge of the
fundamental principles in the process.
OF course, he cannot vary to suit changed
conditions, and he makes failure.
A distinguished butter and cheese
maker in Illinois remarked, few years
ago; that it was very unsafe to employ
Eastern men to make butter or cheese in
Illinois. They invariably brought with
them their Eastern customs, which were
not adapted to Illinois milk Their own
citizens were much more successful, be-
inc accustomed to the peeuliarities OF
the location But a Western man would
be as much at fault in the East as an
Eastern man in the West Both work
with very little or no reference to the
agencies or laws which control their re-
suits. These are, in truth, but little un-
derstood anywhere. They need more
investigation to develop them When
this is done, and the laws which govern
the operations become better known,
dairy products viii take an immense
stride in quality, and their manufacture
be a matter of as much certainty as any
other manufactured product t--Professoy
L. B. Arnold