8 COMPARATIVE RATE OF DECOMPOSITION IN MARKET POULTRY. 



floor of a freezer maintaining temperatures well below freezing, gen- 

 erally about 12 F., and kept there for an average of three days 

 before shipping. 



The boxes were placed about center way of the car and not more 

 than 4 feet from the floor. Sometimes the cars contained dressed 

 poultry exclusively; sometimes they held eggs also. The cars were 

 salted, as well as iced, and icing instructions were issued with them. 

 The haul was about 1,700 miles, and the average time 7.5 days. 



HANDLING BY WHOLESALER AND RETAILER. 



When the car was received at the market the experimental packages 

 were transferred to the wholesaler's chill room, where they were imme- 

 diately inspected. In every instance the stock was excellent and it 

 was very seldom that visual examination could detect any difference 

 in condition due to the various sorts of dressing. 



The wholesaler who handled the goods was provided with excellent 

 chill-room facilities. The temperature averaged 32.6 F. From the 

 wholesaler the boxes of fowls went to the retailer's by wagon, but the 

 haul was short. It was arranged to have more than one retailer 

 handle the chickens, because of the wide variation in their equipment 

 and methods. Refrigeration at the retailer's was by ice box. In 

 addition to holding in the ice box the birds were hung in the shop 

 windows when the retailer made a display. The average tempera- 

 ture, including that of the window display, was 48 F. Generally, 

 when this display was made the weather was cool, but occasionally 

 the temperature was sufficiently high to hasten decomposition in all 

 of the samples. The thermograph record gave a continuous story of 

 the temperature conditions throughout all the transfers and holdings. 



It will be observed that the routine of dressing, packing and ship- 

 ping, and general handling in these experiments is far above the 

 average. Indeed, if all our market poultry should be handled as 

 well, the problem of decay would become insignificant. It was 

 deemed just to give every advantage possible to all the specimens 

 alike, letting the different forms of dressing stand on their own merit, 

 under the same favorable circumstances. 



GRAPHIC PRESENTATION OF AVERAGE RESULTS. 



Individual shipments show a varying history and a considerable 

 difference in decomposition time, as is to be expected. The indus- 

 try, however, must meet a variety of conditions, and it is not the 

 individual maximum or minimum result which should determine the 

 course to be pursued in order to insure soundness in market stocks, 

 but rather that procedure which gives uniformly the best results 



