DISCOLOURATION IN CHEESE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 10, 13 January 1899, Page 3

DISCOLOURATION IN CHEESE.

Or late the subject of cheese discolouration is one to which much attention has been drawn, and its cause and treatment seem to have been abundantly discovered. The widely proelalmed results of the labours of the Scotch Cheese Discolouration Committee will be familiar to most readers of this journal. The use of pure cultures —which is the remedy for discolouration set down by the above Committee—will probably tend to the manufacture of a better article —that is, an article more free from taint— but it may be that the principle involved in the use of these cultures is a bad one for cheese-makers to follow 7. Pure cultures are useful mainly for the purpose of counteracting the effects of dirty milk, and if the cheesemaker finds it absolutely necessary to resort to their use in order to make cheese that will be free from discolouration or other taint, he must know that he is using milk which is anything but fit for the purpose. Of much more value would it have been if the Committee had undertaken to find out the sources of those obnoxious organisms which are undoubtedly responsible for the defect, and to teach the cheese-maker how to prevent their gaining access to the milk. In his much less widely-published investigations into the cause of spongy or fermented curd —which is the great difficulty which the English Cheddarmaker has to contend with — Prof. Lloyd at once proceeded to discover which bacteria possessed the power of rendering curd spongy, and then endeavoured to discover the source of these bacteria and how they reached th£ milk. Some four or five distinct varieties.of organisms were isolated, which, when added in the form of milk-cultures to milk in the cheesetub, produced curd of the most spongy character. These gas-producing organisms were subsequently found to be constant inhabitants of the dung of all farm animals, and were especially abundant in that of fowls and cattle. They were also found in large numbers in the water of sewage-pol-luted streams, and in the water and mud of stagnant pools to which cows had easy access, and in which they were wont to stand in hot summer days. From personal observation, I am justified in stating that these causes ! which produce spongy curd are also in large measure responsible for discolouration in cheese. The Bacillus "coli communis (which has been found to be the chief cause of spongy curd) is an organism whose action upon milk is very marked, decomposing the lactose or milk sugar with great energy, and setting free hydrogen and carbonic acid gases. As is well known to all students of chemistry, nascent hydrogen (i.e., hydrogen when newly liberated from a state of combination) is capable of exerting a bleaching action upon vegetable colouring matters. When, therefore the Bacillus coli communis is present in curd or cheese, its action is to set free a quantity of hydrogen, which will bleach or discolour to an extent dependent upon the number of bacilli present, the annatto with which the curd is coloured. This bacillus is one which causes mischief in various ways, and is one, therefore, which the cheese-maker must do all in his power to avoid. He must be especially careful when cows are out on rich pastures, which are liable to cause scour, as when cows are so troubled it is difficult to prevent portions of excrementitious matter finding their way into the milk pail. He must also be careful to prevent the cows getting into drying-up, muddy ponds, which swarm with organisms deleterious to milk and its products. Cows often take to these places in hot weather, with the result that theirudders are liable to become covered with filthy water, which soon dries up, and, if not removed before milking, falls into the milk pail in the form of fine dust, carrying with it germs which must prove most destructive to the quality of the cheese to be made. The role of pure cultures is to hide the effects of such malign germs when they are present in milk—like Charity, these cultures cover a multitude of sins. Where, nowever, proper precautions are taken to obtain pure, uncontaminated milk, the use of pure cultures is absolutely unnecessary, and better cheese and butter have been made without their use than have been made in the same dairies since the use of cultures has been adopted.

Slovenly Farmers.—Many farms are estimated below their true value because of slovenly' appearance. Weeds hio-her than the fences, trees blown down and left to rot in the same place, fences out of repair, gates and barn doors ofE hinges or swinging on one hinge, unsightly litter in door yard and at the barn—these and many such evidences of carelessness depreciate the value of any farm. The soil may be excellent, the water facilities all that could be asked for, and all natural advantages requisite to make a good, high-priced farm may exist and yet that farm scarcely make its own living. It can almost pass for a truism that the farmer makes the farm. Many reason that there is no money in keeping the farm neat, no cash in the carefully kept barn yard, and that there is uo time for these matters. Such reckon at random, pleasant surroundings do very materlally aid us to better work; man succumbs to such influences unconsciously. The farmer with neat premises will have better crops, better stock, and get more enjoyment in life. The o-reat difficulty is that farmers try to care for more land than one man can possibly attend to properly, hoping thereby to increase his income. The harvest many times is disappointing, and discouragement follows, but, unfortunately the difficulty is not placed on the right scale. Farming, as all other avocations, gives us returns m proportion to the kind of labour ex~ pended. Attention given to these seemingly trivial matters will give larger returns than are anticipated, and nature will aid us to beautify the farm home, and wherever the sons and daughters go this charming spot will be fondly cherished; whereas, now, too many remember the farm home as a wilderness of weeds and brush.