A great number of defects may occur in Cheddar cheese. Certain of these are due to known causes and proper remedies are definable, while neither cause nor remedy has been found for other defects. Some of the common defects and their causes and remedies are discussed under different headings of the score-card as: defects in flavor, their causes and remedies; defects in body and texture, their causes and remedies; defects in color, their causes and remedies; defects in finish and their causes and remedies. +251. Defects in flavor.+--Any flavor differing from the characteristic Cheddar cheese is a defect. Certain of these defective flavors can be recognized and causes and remedies given for them, while others may be distinguished as such but no cause or remedy can be given. +252. Feedy flavors.+--Flavors may be characteristic of certain feeding stuffs. Feeding strong-flavored foods, such as turnips, cabbage, decayed silage, certain weeds and sometimes rank green feed, give their peculiar flavors to both milk and cheese. Freshly drawn milk usually absorbs these odors from the air in barns filled with such foods. Certain of these materials may be fed just after milking in moderate amounts without affecting the milk drawn at the next milking. Others should not be used. Milk should not be exposed to strong volatile odors. Some of the objectionable odors may be removed by airing the curd for a longer time after milling before the salt is applied. +253. Acid flavors.+--A cheese with an acid flavor has a pronounced sour smell and taste. This is caused by the over-development of acid which may be due to any of the following causes: (_a_) receiving milk at the factory which is sour or has too high development of acid; (_b_) using too much starter; (_c_) ripening the milk too much before adding rennet; (_d_) not firming the curd sufficiently in the whey before removing the latter; (_e_) developing too much acid in the whey before it is removed; (_f_) retaining too much moisture in the curd. The trouble can be reduced or eliminated by one or more of the following precautions: (_a_) receiving only clean, sweet milk at the cheese factory; (_b_) maintaining the proper relation between the moisture and acidity; (_c_) adding the rennet at the proper acidity; (_d_) using less starter; (_e_) adding the rennet extract so that there will be sufficient time to firm the curd before the acid has developed to such a stage that it will be necessary to draw the whey; (_f_) producing the proper final water-content in the newly made cheese.