170 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



when cooked and those 1 have pai'taken of were deserving of credit in 

 both respects. 



The first shipment of Russian fowls that I saw were packed in 

 cases containing one hundred birds, but this is too big as many of the 

 retailers have very limited cool chamber accommodation ; consequently 

 a big risk of loss was taken by buying a full case of 100. To 

 meet this objection, the cold storage companies had to open cases and 

 take therefrom whatever quantity was required by the client. This 

 meant a lot of handling and the risk of depreciation. They have, 

 therefore, in their recent shipments been packing in smaller cases of 

 12 and 24 birds each. These cases are better than Victorian. They 

 are made of heavier timber. Each case has five one-inch auger holes 

 at each end, which allow ample ventilation. These holes are covered 

 inside the case with a fine mesh wire gauze, which, whilst not 

 retarding the current of air, prevents the intrusion of vermin, insects 

 and dirt. 



In Fitch's English packing, which is considered the best, there are 

 18, iO, 22 or 24 birds each in small square cases, which are strong and 

 protected in the way above described. These birds are also very 

 cleanly plucked and carefully ])acked, each is wi*apped in a light 

 brown or buff coloured paper, but this feature I do not like, nor is it 

 appreciated in the trade, as when thawing the paper clings to the 

 fowl and cannot be easily removed; thus giving the bird an un- 

 attractive appearance that depreciates it in the eyes of buyers. 



Canadian Poultry. 



To say that we hear a good deal of Canadian poultry and that 

 considerable orders are being secured for it, would seem to be scarcely 

 justified by a glance at the small value of imports for 1902. This 

 amount, however, I'epresents merely the first sample shipments which 

 arrived hear about the end of the year, and which having made a very 

 favourable impression on those who tried it, fairly large repeat orders 

 have in many instances been given, and next year's statistics will tell 

 quite another story so far as the importation of Canadian poultry is 

 concerned ; always of course provided they maintain the standard of 

 quality of the preliminary shipments, which, I should say, they are not 

 likely to depart from. 



In plucking and packing they evidence that great care has been 

 taken, and the flesh possesses a rich creamy plumpness that makes 

 them very attractive. They are fr.ozen with the legs fully extended, 

 which method is favored by many of the retailers, as it enables them 

 easily to make an attractive window display by suspension from a rod. 

 They are packed twelve in a case 18^ in. deep, 4 in. wide and 

 2 ft. 7^ in. long, with neck and feet alternately reversed. 



Generally speaking the Canadian fowls are much bigger than the 

 Russian. I saw one shipment of magnificent birds, Plymouth Rocks, 

 and the cases of 12 fowls each averaged 61 lbs. net. They wer^ 

 young, tender and exceeding attractive, and commanded a ready sale. 



