Seo. 9.] 



POULTRY. 



147 



vast quantities from tliat State, and some from Pennsylvania. A great deal 

 also came from Long Island, and considerable from Connecticut. 



" The Messrs. Ecatty, who make a business of feeding ])oultry, had on sale 

 at once by a conmiission-house, two days before Christmas, four tuns, all pre- 

 pared upon their own premises, and some of the turkeys were as handsome 

 birds as we ever saw, and sold for $3 and $3 50 each.'' 



Mr. "White, of Chautauqua County, another great poultry feeder and packer, 

 had as much more. It is really a blessing, botli to producer and consumer, 

 to have such men as those engaged in the business. Tlie farmer particu- 

 larly reaps a decided advantage, because such skillful poulterers can and do 

 give them more for their birds than they would get if killed by themselves 

 and sent to market in the rough condition that much of the poultry comes 

 into this market. For instance, we noticed, while one commission-house was 

 selling well-prepared geese at 13 cents, a lot of geese, side by side of these, 

 were oft'ered and refused at 6i cents, the fault being that they were not well 

 fiitted, and were picked dry and roughly packed. 



Another lot of well-fatted poultry, well packed, and received in good con- 

 dition from V^erniont, the owner was fully convinced would have netted him 

 from one to two cents a pound more if he had followed the directions given 

 in Ko. 201, for killing and preparing po\dtry for market. 



Relative to the eftect of the weather npon the business of fatting poultry 

 and some other facts, we arc indebted to the Messrs. Beatty for the follow- 

 ing. They say : 



" Owing to the lateness of the season, turkeys did not grow sufficiently to 

 fat well for the early market. It is unprofitable to feed these birds to fatten 

 them until they get their growth ; and in such warm weather as we have 

 had this season they do not fatten well, being inclined to wander. To fat 

 turkeys well and cheaply we must have cold weatiier. It is owing to this, 

 and having to feed a longer time, that we have not been as successful as last 

 year ; and it was so warm when our Christmas lot was dressed, consisting 

 of four tuns, that with all our appliances it required not only experienced 

 skill, but great care to preserve the whole in good order till ready for ship- 

 ment. The fault with that lot [alluding to one then nnpackingj is, that the 

 birds were packed l)efore all the animal heat was out of them. This must 

 be carefully guarded against in such weather as we have had this season. 



"It has been very difficult for farmers to raise turkeys the past summer 

 on account of cold and wet, so that the stock in the country is lu-obably not 

 more than half as large as it was last year, and that is the only reason that 

 the price, notwithstanding the money pressure, has kept up so well. "Wc 

 have fed this year 1,<IOO turkeys in one lot together, having had in ail 1,300, 

 and between ^00 and 300 geese, with other j)oultry in iiroportioii. We use, 

 and recommend to others, to feed good, sound Indian corn, and with it a lib- 

 eral supply of charcoal, which we consider indispensable. It i)romotes health 

 and improves the <piality of tlie flesh." 



Will all poultry-raisers remember this important fact, which alone is 



