The cause should be located and the corresponding remedy found, as follows: (_a_) make cheese only from whole milk; (_b_) draw the whey sooner; (_c_) firm the curd at as low temperature as possible in the whey; (_d_) stir the curd in the whey only enough to keep the curd particles separated but do not hand-stir it; (_e_) use less salt; (_f_) develop less acid in the whey; (_g_) cure the cheese in a cool moist curing-room; (_h_) pile the curd sooner and higher during the cheddaring process. The number of causes which may singly or in combination produce dry cheese demands experience and technical skill that calls for the development of a high degree of judgment. +258. Gassy textured cheese.+--Gassy cheese has large numbers of very small round or slightly flattened holes. When round these are called "pin-holes," and when slightly flattened "fish eye" openings. These are due to the formation of gas by the micro-organisms in the cheese. When a cheese is gassy, it usually puffs up from gas pressure as in the rising of bread. If enough gas is formed, it will cause the cheese to break or crack open. Instead of being flat on the ends, such a cheese becomes so nearly spherical as to roll from the shelf at times. The gas-producing organisms enter because of unclean conditions somewhere in the handling of the milk and the making of the cheese. Some of the common sources of gas organisms are: (_a_) unclean milkers; (_b_) dirty cows; (_c_) aërating the milk in impure air, especially air from hog-pens where the whey is fed; (_d_) allowing the cows to wade in stagnant water or in mud or in filthy barnyards and then not thoroughly cleaning the cows before milking; (_e_) exposing the milk to the dust from hay and feed; (_f_) dirty whey tanks; (_g_) drawing milk and whey in the same cans without afterward thoroughly washing them; (_h_) unclean utensils in the factory; (_i_) using gassy starter; (_j_) ripening cheese at high temperatures. Some of these causes are within the control of the cheese-maker after the making process is begun. Many of them are avoided only by eternal vigilance. Among the recommendations for meeting gassy curd are the following: use only milk produced under clean sanitary conditions; use a clean commercial starter. If gas is suspected in the milk, a larger percentage of commercial starter should be used. More acid must be developed before the whey is removed. If the gas shows while cheddaring, the curd should be piled and repiled until the holes flatten out before milling. The curd should be kept warm during the piling or cheddaring process. This may be accomplished by covering the vat and setting a pail or two of hot water in it. After milling, the curd should be stirred and aired for a considerable length of time before salting. This will aërate the curd and allow it to cool. The cheese should then be placed in a cool curing-room. (See handling of gassy milk.)