The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-08-22
Curing and Keeping Cheese.

The stage at which to apply salt to the
curd is critical one in cheese-making,
and requires pretty accurate test to de-
eide. There are several, the most GER
tain being that soft peculiar feeling
known as "velvety;;" equal quantities Of
butter and whey exuding on the curd
being firmly squeezed in the hand; the
response to the hot iron being the flavor
of nice toasted cheese, etc The mois-
ture of cheese consists of the water of
the whey still remaining, the essential
and some of the volatile oil derived
from the butter, and the butter fats. In
o skinned milk or very poor cheese the
proportion of whey is large, and when it
has passed its proper stage of ripeness
part of it will evaporate and the cheese
apparently lose its quality, though it is
merely water it is losing. In full milk
or rich cheese the proportion is reversed,
and the moisture being from richness
the cheese will improve by long keep
ing.
Speaking generally, cheese with little
moisture is slow to ripen; with too much
moisture, it natures too soon. To know
the proper grist all through is the touch
stone of the cheese-maker skill. If the
curd is too moist it may be improved by
using less repnet, or by keeping up
slightly higher temperature, by breaking
the curd finer before sca!ding, or by in
ereasing the quantity of salt. A cheese,
after being kept in the press for two
days or so, should be neatly bandaged
and remoS ed to the cheese-room. One
end is then rubbed with melted butter,
the other similarly at the first turning
on the shelves, process which may be
repeated with benefit. The cheese-room
should be so constructed that certain
and easy control of the temperature can
be secured about sixty-fve degrees be-
ing the average desired. o, erheating
melts the butter fats, and they then be-
come rancid and spoil the flavor of the
cheese. Finally, turn daily and rub we'll /;
q good cheese should have its surface
smooth and clean.-Prairie Farmer.
Petroleum as Preservative.
A correspondent of the Orange County
Farmer d;scourses on the use of crude
petroleum as wood preservative as fol-
lows: ct is claimed by some of those
who have tried it that a fence post
painted with crude petroleum will last
much longer than those set without
There are those again who claim that an
application of petroleum in their case
does not add anything to the length of
time the post will last. That this oil
does contain protective properties is con-
ceded by all who have used it to any ex-
tent. That it does not protect in all
cases where applied to fence posts is no
doubt due to the difference in the soil
and also to the condition of the post at
the time it was painted or coated with
the oil, for to soak green post with
petroleum and set it at once is a waste of
time, and all posts should be thoroughly
seasoned before they are coated with oil
or any other protective, and never set
until dried through and through. A
coating of petroleum on shingles will
add much to their lasting qualities if
applied after they are laid on the roof,
but the proper way is to dip the shingles
in the whole length before they are laid.
This can best be done by having the oil
in trough large enough to dip the ends
of the bunches in up to the middle, and
when they are taken out lay them on a
slanting board that will save the drip
pings and carry them into the troug b
in which the shingles are dipped.
Twenty-Five cents worth of oil applied
in this way will make them last twice
the length Of time they otherwise would.