The record-union., 1892-11-02

Beef Cattle In the Future-Artificial
Food for Bees-Feeding Skim Milk
Improvement in Tomatoes-Miscel-
laneous Items.
Cheshire is one of the western or north
midland counties of England, and has
long been noted for its dairy products.
Cheese making is one of the principal ag-
ricultural industries, and in many sec
tions is practiced with equal satisfaction
and profit. An organization known as
the County Dairy Institute has done
much to develop the dairy interests, and
to it l am indebted for many interesting
facts regarding the present practice OF
Cheshire cheese making.
There are three different methods prac
ticed, and the one followed depends
largely upon the season of the year.
These three are known as o. the early
ripening, usually practiced in spring; ~
the late ripening, followed during sum-
mer and early autumn; and (3) the me-
dium ripening, which may be practiced
during late spring, early summer and
late autumn.
In visiting several cheese factories l
found them to consist of three parts
namely, dairyroom, q pressroom and a
curing or ripening-room. The first is
constructed so as to preserve an even
temperature and secure good ventilation.
The floors are almost invariably OF hard
tile set in cement, and are generally a lit
tie higher than the land on which the
building stands. The pressroOm is
usually of similar construction TO the
dairy but in the best factories contains
a cheese Oven," which consists Of a
chamber or closet built in one of the
walls. This is heated by flue passing
under the bottom, and is kept at a
temperature Of about 73'. A room with
southern exposure is generally used for
a curing-room. The temperature of the
dairy is kept at about CO., that of the
pressroom from 65o to 70', and the curing
room from So to 65' Fahrenheit
The principal implements or utensils
used in the manufacture of cheese are a
milk-vat, curd-knives, curd-mill, cheese
molds, hoops, presses, etc, together with
the usual assortment of milk-pailS, pans,
strainers, etc. The milkvat is rectangu-
lar in shape, about twenty inches deep
and thirty inches wide, the length de-
pending upon the amount of milk used.
The vaJ is double-cased, the inner case
being made Of the best of steel; the space
between, about two inches, can be filled
with hot water or steam for heating the
milk, or with cold water for cooling it.
1t is fitted with brass taps, covers and
draining racks in three pieces, on which
the curd is placed during making. In
this way the curd can be worked with
greater facility and economy of labor.
The curd-knlVeS are made OF the finest
steel, the blades being set one-half inch
apart. The curd-mill is made either of
iron or wood, and is fitted with spiked
rollers, which reduces the curd to the size
of an average garden pea. The cheese
hoops are made either of wood or steel,
and the customary sizes are from twelve
to sixteen inches i'll diameter. The presses
are of various patterns; they may be
either the single, double or triple cham
Der type, in the double lever system, and
are capable OF applying pressure of from
400 to $500 pounds.
We find the same agents employed in
the manufacture of cheese from milk
here in Cheshire as in the cheese factories
of the United States, namely, rennet, salt
and, when color is desired, annatto.
These judiciously combined, with the
proper application of heat and pressure.
make up the essentials of cheese making
Rennet is used here in three ways, either
in liquid state, as a powder, or direct
from the skin. Its strength is tested by
taking dram of the liquid or a fixed
portion of the powder, and mixing it
with five gallons of milk, and then to no.
tice how long it is before it begins to
thicken. If this occurs in from 20 10 %
minutes the right proportion of rennet
will have been found. If it takes longer
time more is required. Ii shorter, the
quality should be reduced. OF course,
the exact quantity can only be fixed upOn
by repeated careful tests in individual
dairies. The use of the cured and dried
skins in pieces cut daily is not recon-
sIa.l IL II
urers, nor IS the use OF highly concen-
trated or very strong rennet in the form
of powder. In regard to the use of salt.
practice varies. As a rule, about ounces
to 20 pounds Of curd are used in early
spring, ounces to 20 pounds in summer
ana ounces in autumn, when the milk
IS richer. An overacld curd requires less
salt than the quantities named.
| will now briefly describe the early
ripening process and then the late ripen-
ing. 1t will of course be understood that
it is impossible TO lay down any rigid
rules of procedure that will answer all
the surrounding conditions Of character
of milk, weather, etc. Here. as else
where, the intelligent cheeseman's er
trusts his own senses, and adaptS himself
to circumstances Very generally. how
ever, the following rules are observed in
the making OF early ripened Cheshire
cheese. The nights milk is strained
into the vat and left until morning. The
cream is then removed and the mornings
milk strained into the vat. The whole is
then heated to 7S' or So, and sour whey
Is added in the proportion of one quart to
thirty gallons of milk. Rennet is then
added, and the curd should be ready to
cut in an hour. When ready for work.
ing, the curd will not adhere, but break
over the finger, when dipped into it and
raised sideways. The knives or curd-
cutters are then used and the cutting is
carefully done, the operation ceasinp
when the pieces are the size of beans. II
is then allowed to settle, and the whey
remains until there is a decided deyelon-
ment of acidity. The curd is thon gath
cred to one end of the vat and the whey
drawn OFF.
After draining for short time, the curd
is salted-about one quart OF salt To 80
pounds of curd is the usual proportion.
1t is then placed in molds, where il is
left twenty-four hours. 1t is then turned
into another hoop, clean, dry cloth be-
ing used. 1t is turned again the following
morning, and put under light pressure.
and is pressed for two or three days. he
ing turned each morning, and clean.
dry cloth used. The cheese is then
wrapped in q thin calico binder and is
removed to the ripening-room. For the
first week it is turned every day: then
every other day. At the end of three or
four weeks it is considered ready for mar
kot.
The late ripening process differs as fol-
lows: The evenings milk is usually
strained into shallow pans and placed on