Neufchâtel and Cream Cheese: Farm Manufacture and Use by K. J. Matheson and F. R. Cammack is an illustrated USDA bulletin about a group of soft cheeses and the ways they were made, sold, and served. Issued in July 1918 as Farmers’ Bulletin 960, it brings together small-scale dairy practice, equipment, cost considerations, and a substantial collection of household recipes.
A bulletin for farm and household use
The opening pages distinguish Neufchâtel from cream cheese and explain the place of these products in the dairy trade. The authors describe a group of cheeses that could be produced in factories or on a smaller scale. Their interest extends beyond manufacturing: they also want readers to recognize the food value of soft cheese and the range of dishes in which it can be used.
Both authors are identified with the Dairy Division, and the bulletin was contributed by the Bureau of Animal Industry. This gives the publication the character of a practical agricultural reference. Its illustrations and explanations are intended to make the sequence understandable, while the later household section connects the dairy product with ordinary meals.
Following the manufacturing sequence
The manufacturing discussion begins with milk and cream, including the composition of the milk used for the different cheeses. It considers pasteurization, starters, and setting before following the curd through draining and further handling. The text treats each stage separately, making it possible to see how the consistency of the final product depends on the earlier operations.
Photographs show curd being poured into a drain cloth and illustrate equipment used to press or handle it. These images are useful for understanding the scale of the work and the relationship between the receptacles, cloth, and curd. They also help explain why the authors discuss equipment as part of the process rather than as an unrelated shopping list.
Mixing, packing, and variations
Later sections consider mixing and working the cheese, along with shaping and packing. A photograph of working equipment shows the handling of larger quantities. The bulletin discusses combinations and flavourings, including pimiento cream cheese, and gives attention to the appearance and uniformity of the packaged product. Readers studying historical dairy work can follow the movement from a batch of milk to portions ready for sale.
Cost of manufacture receives its own treatment. Period equipment lists and examples of expenses show how the authors expected a producer to think about labour, materials, and the value of the product. These figures belong to 1918 and should be read as evidence of the business setting of the time. Their broader interest lies in the way the bulletin connects a technical process with practical farm economics.
Equipment for a small operation
The equipment section covers tools and containers for making Neufchâtel and cream cheese on a modest scale. Illustrations include shaping devices and moulding equipment as well as the larger apparatus shown earlier. This range makes the bulletin especially interesting as a record of how dairy instruction addressed different levels of production.
It also discusses keeping quality. That subject links the manufacturing and household sections: making a soft cheese successfully is only one part of handling it through storage, distribution, and use. The publication’s advice reflects the conditions and scientific understanding of its period, so its operational details are best studied as historical dairy practice.
Using soft cheese at the table
The final portion turns to the use of these cheeses in the diet. Recipes demonstrate uses in savoury and sweet dishes, including soups, salads, sauces, combinations with vegetables, sandwiches, and desserts. The range shows that the authors did not view soft cheese merely as a spread. They present it as an ingredient that can contribute texture, flavour, and nourishment to a wider menu.
Readers interested in historical cookery, dairy equipment, and farm household references will find a compact but varied publication here. Use current tested dairy guidance for actual cheese making, refrigeration, and storage; the manufacturing directions date from 1918. The PDF preserves the original illustrated cover, photographs, page images, and library matter. It contains 44 digital pages, including preliminary and blank pages, with searchable text that has occasional recognition errors.
Book details
- Title: Neufchâtel and Cream Cheese: Farm Manufacture and Use
- Authors: K. J. Matheson and F. R. Cammack
- Issuing body: United States Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry
- Series: Farmers’ Bulletin 960
- Publication: Washington, Government Printing Office, July 1918
- Edition: No numbered edition stated
- Language: English
- Format: Illustrated scanned PDF, 44 digital pages
- File size: 2.90 MB (2,898,097 bytes)
- Subjects: Soft cheese, dairy equipment, manufacturing, packing, farm economics, cheese recipes
