THE SWISS AND ITALIAN GROUPS 285 



in the curing-room. It is held by some cheese-makers 

 that this process causes them to absorb more moisture. 

 Probably this is due to the checking of evaporation. 



The development of the " eyes " may be watched by 

 trying the following test : Place the middle finger on the 

 cheese and let the first finger slip from it, striking the 

 cheese smartly; a dull sound indicates solidity, while a 

 ring indicates a hole, and an expert maker can tell the 

 size of the holes by the sound. This requires long 

 practice for the operator to become proficient. 



After a cheese has remained in the first room for about 

 two weeks and the holes are well started, it is removed 

 to the second curing-room, which is held at a cooler 

 temperature and slightly drier atmosphere. The cheeses 

 are held in this room from three to ten months, depend- 

 ing on market conditions, and capacity of the curing- 

 rooms. In Switzerland, it is customary to hold cheese 

 to secure a well ripened product, while in America most 

 of the cheeses are shipped comparatively green, hence 

 do not bring so high a price. 



272. Block Swiss. In making block Swiss, the same 

 procedure is followed through the cooking stage. Then 

 the curd is pressed in a square form or in one large piece, 

 each form six inches square on the ends and twenty inches 

 long, and later cut into sections. These are then pressed, 

 salted and cured in the same way as round forms. In 

 this type of cheese there is a much smaller cross-section; 

 therefore the development of holes is much more easily 

 controlled on account of the ease with which the salt 

 can work into the cheese and control undesirable fer- 

 ments. As it is easy to control, this variety is made in 

 the fall and winter when the ferments are especially 

 hard to keep in check. However, this cheese has the 



