COMPARATIVE KATE OF DECOMPOSITION IN MARKET POULTRY. 13 



TABLE II. Changes in percentages of ammoniacal nitrogen present in the flesh during 

 . marketing, comparing different methods of dressing. 



[Average for 11 shipments.) 



TABLE III. Increase in number of bacteria per gram in the flesh of the body wall during 

 marketing, comparing four methods of dressing fowls . 



[Plates incubated at 20 C.; average for 11 shipments.] 



Chart 3 shows graphically the relative number of organisms at 

 each stage of marketing and for each form of dressing. It is a better 

 representation of each form of dressing than of the relative condition 

 at the different marketing periods because of the necessity of changing 

 the scale on which the results are plotted. Samples 3 and 4, however, 

 are drawn to the same scale and may be directly compared. If the 

 number of organisms in 1 gram of the flesh of the undrawn fowl is 

 plotted on a scale of 136,900 to 1 millimeter, the line representing 

 the bacteria in the flesh of the full-drawn specimen in sample 3 is 

 58.5 feet long; in sample 4 the line for the full-drawn would be 134 

 feet long. If charted on the basis of the number of organisms in the 

 flesh of the undrawn chicken when examined in the packing house, 

 the line would be 14.7 miles in length. 



GRAPHICS OF THREE INDIVIDUAL SHIPMENTS. 



Such are the results of the series of shipments when viewed as a 

 whole. It may be instructive, however, to study a few typical 

 shipments in detail. 



SHIPMENT NO. 1027. 



No. 1027 is a fair example of marketing, with June weather as an 

 incentive to promptness. The fat changes and the increase in 

 ammonium compounds are plotted. The temperature curve stands 

 out plainly and covers the entire course of marketing. The figures 



1 to 2 indicate the temperature of the packing-house chill room; 



2 to 3 the temperature of the refrigerator car during transit; 3 to 4 



