84 



The Business Hen. 



Fig. 39. LOADING UP. 



or iced. At Fig. 41 is a fav- 

 orite crate for shipping live small 

 chickens. Those shown weigh 

 from 3H to 4 pounds per 

 pair. Though many lighter are 

 sold, the best prices are paid for 

 those about the weight men- 

 tioned. The crates are made of 

 hard wood and are very durable. 

 Some are 2J.'2x33^ feet, and eight 

 inches deep. Fig. 42 is a box 

 of dressed broilers as put up by 

 the meat-packing houses for 

 shipment in refrigerator cars. 

 The boxes contain two or three 

 dozen according to size. Other poultry is also put in similar boxes. Tho 

 farmer who ships in small quantities and does not have the advantage of 

 refrigerator cars must ice his dressed chickens unless very near market 

 or in cool weather. At bottom of page 85 is a barrel of iced poultry 

 minus the burlap covering. In warm weather the icing must be thor- 

 oughly done and the ice in close contact with the birds. This makes them 

 wet and messy, but they can be wiped off and dried so as to look very 

 well. There are various expedients for doing away with this bad appear- 

 ance, such as wrapping each bird in heavy paper, but this is only partly 

 effective, and about the best way is to pack alternate layers of cracked ice 

 and poultry, and a good sized chunk of ice on top. 



As a rule the farmer is most interested m the Fall and Winter poultry 

 market. He has something to sell for Thanksgiving, and clears out the 

 rest of his surplus for Christmas and New Years. For Thanksgiving 



trade the weather is generally 



cool enough so that dry packing 

 is safe. Boxes get rougher usage 

 than barrels, being harder to 

 handle, but a barrel is not so con- 

 venient to pack in. Unless send- 

 ing a very small quantity it is 

 best to sort the poultry, putting 

 hen and tom turkeys in separate 

 packages, and the culls by them- 

 selves : or better, keep the culls 

 to get in condition for a later 

 market. If boxes are used, they 

 should not be too large. Less 



Fig. 40. A "KOSHER" MEAT SHOP. 



