CHEESE 



117 



beginning to expel the whey, crossways, into vertical 

 sticks, two inches square. 



No horizontal knife is used, but a few minutes after 

 the last vertical cutting the curd is further broken by 

 the ''scoop," a wooden spoon or ladle about eight inches 

 long, thirteen inches wide, one and one-half inches 





Cheese sword 



Cutting the curd with 

 the scoop 



Tools for stirring 

 the curd 



deep, and provided with a short handle. Standing at 

 one side of the kettle, the cheesemaker scoops off a 

 layer from the top and, drawing the scoop towards 

 himself, drops the pieces of curd close to the side of 

 the kettle. This movement is repeated, at first slowly, 

 then faster, and soon the whole mass of curd is moving, 

 the pieces cut off going down along the side of the 

 kettle and the rest of the sticks sliding upward along 

 the other side, to be attacked by the scoop as soon as 



