THE SWISS AND ITALIAN GROUPS 277 



maker takes the best care possible of his kettle, for an 

 unclean utensil is one of the easiest sources of contamina- 

 tion of the milk. When the kettle is not jacketed, and 

 it is only in recent years that this has been done, it is 

 suspended in a fireplace by 

 means of a crane arrange- 

 ment. 



This fireplace uses wood, 

 and is built of brick or stone, 

 so that the kettle rests on the 

 edge and is provided with a 

 door which swings upon 

 another crane, and can be 

 closed while the fire is going. 

 When the kettle is swung on _ 



& FIG. 56. Swiss-cheese kettle. 



a crane, it is possible to 



swing it under the weigh-stand for filling. This requires 

 a lid to swing down over the fire, and keep the room 

 free from smoke. The chimney generally has a rather 

 high stack to secure a good draft. This kettle is 

 fastened to the crane by a large iron band passing around 

 the neck, to which a bail or handle is attached. The 

 kettle may be raised or lowered by means of a simple 

 screw on this beam. The crane consists of a heavy beam 

 working in sockets in the floor and a beam or cross brace, 

 which has another and shorter beam braced to it, to take 

 the weight of the kettle. 



The weigh-stand, and its efficient location, is a matter 

 of extreme importance. It is elevated a little above 

 the remainder of the floor to allow gravity to do the 

 work. The next most important equipment is the 

 press and draining table. The table is made of wood or 

 stone, and has a slight slope to allow the whey to drain 



