268 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



64 VICTORIA, A. 1901 



Anotlier manner of killing is by cutting the roof of the mouth, at the base of the 

 brain, lengthways and across, with a narrow-bladed and sharp knife, but birds so killed 

 should only be sold on a local market. 



PLUCKIN"G. 



Immediately aften the neck is broken all sense of feeling ceases, and plucking 

 should at once begin and be carefully done. On no account should the skin be torn 

 or bruised in anyway. Mr. E. Cobb, the English authority already quoted, thus 

 describes the operation : ' The immediate plucking of the bird is advocated because 

 the feathers come away ten times easier diiectly after killing than if the bird is left 

 alone for one minute only before starting. Many fatters never employ the thumb in 

 plucking, excepting at a few places, and prefer slipping, as it were, one finger imder the 

 feathers and catching them as in a vice between the other fingers. Having cleared the 

 neck down to within a couple of inches or so of the head, pluck the sides of the breast 

 and the top of the back level with the wings, then do the wings, and work down the 

 hack to the tail, extract the latter, and, turning the bird over, finish up at the point 

 that you left off on the breast, taking the legs on the way down.' 



SINGEING. 



Many of the English fatters singe their fowls. This should be done immediately 

 after plucking and before the body is cold. It should be carefully done, so as not to 

 burn the flesh. All the ' pin ' feathers should also be carefully removed. The bird is 

 now ready to be pressed. 



The English practice before putting the bird into the ' press ' is to tie the hocks 

 together above the shank. The pressing machine is made by placing a board against 

 a wall at an angle of 65 degrees. Or it may be made in the shape of a stand. In the 

 latter shape it is made by placing two boards together at right angles. The birds are 

 then placed breasts downwards, with sterns pressed against the wall, or slanting board 

 and heads hanging downwards. A weight is placed on the baclcs of the chickens, so 

 as to press their breast bones in flat, slightly crushing them in without breaking them. 

 In the evidence of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Dairying, before the Agri- 

 cultural Committee of the House of Commons, the operation is thus described : * a 

 glazed brick or other weight is laid on top, and another brick is put alongside to keep 

 it in position until the next bird is pressed closely there. After the row is full the 

 chickens are left lying on their breasts with a board laid on top of them, with sufficieiit 

 weight to hold them firmly and crush the breast bones slightly' 



The birds should be left in the press from two to six hours, at any rate until 

 thoroughly cooled. 



PACKING. 



For shipment to England, the birds should be neatly packed in lightly made but 

 strong cases or boxes, to hold twelve birds, six in the bottom of the case and six on 

 top of the lower tier. The birds should be wrapped in clean white paper, and arranged 

 so as to present a neat appearance on being unpacked. In packing, the heads of three 

 birds should be at one end of the case and the feet at the other end. The other three 

 birds should be arranged the opposite way, and so that they will neatly fit in. 



