The Farm.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1418, 9 January 1885, Page 3

The Farm.

CHEESE-MAKING.

Wx take the following extract descriptive of the method of oheese-making in Gloucestershire '* Under the general system, the cheese is made twice a day from perfectly fresh milk each time, yet in other eases " half coward " cheese is made, and this means cheese made in part of skim milk. It is made once a day only from the morning's milk fresh and the evening's skimmed, the two kinds being mixed together; the milk in any case is warmed up to 80 deg., in some cases to 85 deg., at whioh point the colouring, if any, and the rennet are added to it, and the curd forms in abont an hour; the coagnlum is broken down by a wire-breaker, or, where Keevil's apparatus is used, by a revolving framework, which contains on the one side vertical, and on the other horizontal wires. In the old system, the curd in breaking is left to sink, and the whey is ladled off. In the Keevil apparatus the whey runs through the taps. It Jis important to get out the cord before passing it through the curd milk all whey that can be got out conveniently. To /his end the curd is variously pressed. In the Keevil apparatus it is pressed by a plate of perforated and galvanised iron; and in the old system by hand, or by a piece of wood on which a weight is placed. When as much whey as possible has been got out, the curd is ground and put to press. The next and two or three following mornings the chdese is taken out of press, turned, and salted on the outside. During the pressing period, whioh lasts nearly a week, the cheeses are taken out of press and wrapped in dry cloths. The characteristics of Gloucester oheese of good quality are sharp well-defined edges, no bulging anywhere, a clear yellow hue around the edges, and a well developed blue mould rising through the pain t on the sides, a smooth close form and waxy texture, rather than a loose and open one, a mild though rich flavour, and a somewhat tough and solid skin, destitute of cracks, though it will, when the cheese are ripe, bear an immense weight without giving way under the foot. This, indeed, is the standard test of firmness and solidity.

LIME Ab A FERTILIZER.

An agricultural paper says that the quantity to be applied should be in a great measure determined by the character of the soil. If it contains a large amount of vegetable matter then more lime may be used with advantage than when it oon* tains but little; or if the soil is a cold day, and the lime is desired to out it up and improve its mechanical oondition as well as chemical, then quite a large amountfifty to one hundred bushels—may often be applied with benefit. But, on light soils, that is sand and sandy loams, ten to twenty bushels is sufficient for one application. For wheat apply juit before sowing the wheat and broadcast, harrowing it with the grain. It is not best to mix lime with other fertilizers, especially those containing ammonia. There are no vegetables or plants which would be a sure indication that the soil requires lime, but there are seme that thrive better on soils deficiint in lime than on those containing a large amount. A farmer should never use lime with the idea that it is itself a fertilizer, but only is a dissolvent of the plant food already in the soil.