+259. Acidy, pasty or soft body and texture.+--A cheese with acidy body may be either hard and dry or soft and moist. It has a mealy or sandy feeling when rubbed between the fingers. The causes and remedies are the same as for cheeses with acid flavors. When rubbed between the fingers, it is pasty and sticks to the fingers. It is caused by the cheese containing too much water. (See control of moisture.) +260. Defects in color.+--Any color which is not uniform is a defect. The proper color depends on the market requirement. Some markets prefer a white and others a yellow cheese; however, if the color is uniform, it is not defective. _Mottled color_ is a spotted or variegated marking of the cheese. Several causes may give the same general effect: (_a_) uneven distribution of moisture, the curd having extra moisture being lighter in color; (_b_) neglecting to strain the starter; (_c_) adding the starter after the cheese color has been added; (_d_) mixing the curd from different vats. Remedies for this mottled color are: (_a_) to maintain a uniform assimilation of moisture (see discussion of moisture); (_b_) to strain the starter to break up the lumps before adding to the milk; (_c_) to add all of the starter before adding the cheese color; (_d_) not to mix curds from different vats. _Seamy color._--In "seamy" colored cheese, the outline of each piece of curd may be seen. There is usually a line where the surfaces of the curd come together. It may be caused by the pieces of curd becoming greasy or so cold that they will not cement. This may be remedied by having the curd at a temperature of 80° to 85° F. when put to press. If it is greasy, this may be removed by washing the curd in cold water. _Acid color._--This is a bleached or faded color and is caused by the development of too much acid. (See acid flavor for causes and remedies, page 266.) +261. Defects in finish.+--Defects of this class differ from those previously mentioned in being entirely within the control of the cheese-maker. All are due to carelessness or lack of skill in manipulation. Anything which detracts from the neat, clean, workmanlike appearance of the cheese is a defect that may interfere with the sale of an article intrinsically good. Some of the common defects are: (_a_) unclean surfaces or dirty cheese; (_b_) cracked rinds; (_c_) moldy surfaces; (_d_) uneven sizes; (_e_) cracked cheese; (_f_) wrinkled bandages; (_g_) uneven edges. CHEDDAR CHEESE JUDGING Judging of cheese is the comparison of the qualities of one product with those of another. To make this easier it is customary to reduce the qualities of the cheese to a numerical basis. This is accomplished by the use of a score-card, which recognizes certain qualities and gives to each a numerical value. Each of these score-cards gives a perfect cheese a numerical score of 100. Two score-cards are used to judge cheese, one for export and the other for home-trade product. The latter is more commonly used.