Perhaps he hoped the wood would protect the cheeses from mice and rats, for the good monks of Saint-Gall couldn’t be expected to send an escort of cats from their chalky caves to guard them—­even for Charlemagne.  There is no telling how many cats were mustered out in the caves, in those early days, but a recent census put the number at five hundred.  We can readily imagine the head handler in the caves leading a night inspection with a candle, followed by his chief taster and a regiment of cats.  While the Dutch and other makers of cheese also employ cats to patrol their storage caves, Roquefort holds the record for number.  An interesting point in this connection is that as rats and mice pick only the prime cheeses, a gnawed one is not thrown away but greatly prized.

Sapsago, Schabziger or Swiss Green Cheese

The name Sapsago is a corruption of Schabziger, German for whey cheese.  It’s a hay cheese, flavored heavily with melilot, a kind of clover that’s also grown for hay.  It comes from Switzerland in a hard, truncated cone wrapped in a piece of paper that says: 

        To be used grated only
        Genuine Swiss Green Cheese
        Made of skimmed milk and herbs

To the housewives!  Do you want a change in your meals?  Try the contents of this wrapper!  Delicious as spreading mixed with butter, excellent for flavoring eggs, macaroni, spaghetti, potatoes, soup, etc.  Can be used in place of any other cheese. Do not take too much, you might spoil the flavor.

We put this wrapper among our papers, sealed it tight in an envelope, and to this day, six months later, the scent of Sapsago clings ’round it still.

Stilton

     Honor for Cheeses

Literary and munching circles in London are putting quite a lot of thought into a proposed memorial to Stilton cheese.  There is a Stilton Memorial Committee, with Sir John Squire at the head, and already the boys are fighting.

     One side, led by Sir John, is all for a monument.

     This, presumably, would not be a replica of Stilton itself,
     although Mr. Epstein could probably hack out a pretty effective
     cheese-shaped figure and call it “Dolorosa.”

The monument-boosters plan a figure of Mrs. Paulet, who first introduced Stilton to England. (Possibly a group showing Mrs. Paulet holding a young Stilton by the hand and introducing it, while the Stilton curtsies.)

T.S.  Eliot does not think that anyone would look at a monument, but wants to establish a Foundation for the Preservation of Ancient Cheeses.  The practicability of this plan would depend largely on the site selected for the treasure house and the cost of obtaining a curator who could, or would, give his whole time to the work.

     Mr. J.A.  Symonds, who is secretary of the committee, agrees with
     Mr. Eliot that a simple statue is not the best form.