AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11653, 23 August 1916, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.

PREPARATION OF CALVES’ YELLS FOR RENNET MAKING,

A considerable amount of discussion has taken place at most dairying meetings in Regard to the question of the, scarcity of rennet. In order to maintain an assured supply, the department of Agriculture has issued the following interesting particulars:— The “yell” is the fourth stomach of the calf, and is. used for the manufacture of rennet. Only the veils from sucking or milk fed calves are valuable for this purpose. The veils of calves raised on grass or other solid foods are not suitable. . Calves slaughtered for their veils should not be lels than three or four days old. When the calf is killed, immediately cut out the veil, leaving a portion of the third stomach or “book” attached to it. Carefully squeeze out the contents of the vell x r-cqnsistiug of coagulated or other partially digested food - at the nar row end, but do not turn the veil inside out or wash it, as this would cause a loss of the ferment.

The air-drying method to r be used for preparing the veils for despatch, is as follows; Tie up the opening in the large end of the veil applying the string to the narrow passage between it and the hook. Inseri£in the opening of the long neck at the other end of the veil a small tube of grass or any other material; blow, up the veil fairly hard and tie with string under the tube. Rinse any dirt from the outside—hut not inside—and trim off any adhering fat, taking care not to perforate or weaken, the wall of the veil in doing so Hang the inflamed veils iu a draughty shed or a warm, dry room, hut do not expose them to more heat than that of an ordinary warm room. Never bang veils in the open exposed to the sun. Where a good draught cau be created, it will help to dry the veils quickly, and the process should not take more than a week. They should not he left moist long enough to mould or putrefy, aud cate should be taken that they are not infested with maggots or insects after being dried andT bundled for despatch, In other words, they should he thoroughly dried and carefully protected from flies and other insects. When a sufficient number of thoroughly dried veils have accumulated cut off the neck (which contains but little of the ferment), and let out the air; tie up tiie veils iu bundles, and pack carefully for despatch to the collecting depot or dairy factory as directed.