+6. Factors affecting the quality.+--The process of cheese-making begins with drawing the milk from the udder. The care and treatment the milk receives, while being drawn, and its subsequent handling, have a decided influence on its qualities. The process of cheese-making is varied according to the qualities of the milk. There are five factors that influence the quality of the milk for cheese-making: (1) its chemical composition; (2) the flavor of feed eaten by the cow; (3) the absorption of flavors and odors from the atmosphere; (4) the health of the cow; (5) the bacteria present. The first factor is dependent on the breed and individuality of the cow. The other four factors are almost entirely within the control of man. Of these factors, number five is of the most importance, and is the one most frequently neglected. +7. Chemical composition.+--The high, low and average composition of milk is approximately as follows: TABLE I COMPOSITION OF MILK --------+-------+------+--------+-------+---------+----- | WATER | FAT | CASEIN | SUGAR | ALBUMIN | ASH | PER | PER | PER | PER | PER | PER | CENT | CENT | CENT | CENT | CENT | CENT --------+-------+------+--------+-------+---------+----- High | 88.90 | 5.50 | 3.00 | 5.00 | .72 | .73 Low | 85.05 | 3.00 | 2.10 | 4.60 | .70 | .70 Average | 87.47 | 3.80 | 2.50 | 4.80 | .71 | .72 --------+-------+------+--------+-------+---------+----- +8. Factors causing variation in composition.+--The composition of cow's milk varies according to several factors. The composition of the milk of different breeds differs to such a degree that whole series of factories are found with lower or higher figures than these averages on account of dominant presence of particular kinds of cattle. The following table shows the usual effect of breed on fat and total solids of milk: TABLE II THE USUAL EFFECT OF BREED OF COWS ON FAT AND TOTAL SOLIDS OF MILK ------------------+------------------------ | AVERAGES BREED OF COWS +----------+------------- | Fat | Total Solids | Per Cent | Per Cent ------------------+----------+------------- Jersey | 5.62 | 14.74 Guernsey | 5.34 | 14.70 Shorthorn | 4.17 | 13.41 Ayrshire | 3.61 | 12.72 Holstein-Friesian | 3.30 | 11.89 ------------------+----------+------------- The figures[1] in Tables I and II are compiled and averaged from a large number of analyses made at different agricultural experiment stations.