Sec. 9,J 



POULTRY. 



149 



The rule for " plumping" is to clip the birds about two seconds into water 

 nearly or quite boiling hot, and then at once into cold water about the same 

 length of time. Some think the hot plunge sufficient without the cold. The 

 neatest poultry-dressers use both the hot and cold plunge. The poultry 

 should be entirely cold, but not frozen before being packed. If poultry- 

 reaches market sound, without freezing, it will sell all the better. 



After plumping, hang or lay the birds where they will dry, and then 

 remove them to the cooling-room, laying the bodies nicely arranged upon 

 clean boards in a cold room till perfectly cool, but not frozen, and then pack 

 in lioxes, with clean rye straw, about 300 or 400 lbs. in a box, filled full ; 

 mark the contents on a paper inside, and on the lid outside, and direct it to 

 your commission-mercliant plainly, and send it by express, and one invoice 

 by mail, and place another in one of the boxes, if there is more than one, 

 and mark on that, invoice, and then it will be opened first, and the merchant 

 knows wiience it comes, and wliat the consignment consists of. It is also a 

 good plan to mark the contents of each box outside, thus: In box 



jS^o. 1—12 turkeys, 144 lbs. ; 20 geese, IGO lbs. ; 50 spring chickens, 125 lbs. 



yYo. 2—100 fowls, 300 lbs. ; 24 ducks, 96 lbs. 



This lot will pack in two square dry-goods boxes. If clean hand-threshed 

 rye straw can not be had, wheat or oat straw will answer, if clean and free 

 irom dust. Place a layer of straw at the bottom of the box, then alternate 

 Livers of poultry and straw — taking care to stow snugly, backs upward, 

 filling vacancies with straw, and filling the package so that the cover will 

 draw down snugly upon the contents. Counnon dry -goods boxes, holding 

 not over 300 lbs., are the best packages. 



Kever kill your birds on a damp day, nor pack them, if you can avoid it, 

 except in a clear, cold, dry atmosphere ; and try to avoid night-work, when 

 you arc tired and j'our help sleepy, and all of you careless. 



Ko matter how light j-our boxes are, they must look clean, or your poultry 

 will not sell at first prices. In packing, press the wings close, and pi'ess 

 the bird down hard on the breast, the legs extending back, and fill each 

 course full, and then lay on straw and another course of birds. Nail tight, 

 but don't let a nail project inward to tear the birds. 



Give your name and residence in full on tlic bill in the box and on the 

 invoice b}' mail. Don't tliink because you know in what State you live, that 

 everybody else will know it if you name the town. 



Never pack in barrels if you can get good dry-goods boxes, as the rolling 

 of barrels injures tiie poultry, where it is likely to be much handled, uidess 

 very closely packed. Besides, it does not pack to as good advantage to the 

 shape of the birds as it docs in boxes. Small lots may be ]iacked in "shoe 

 or hat boxes," but tlicj' must bo carefully iioopcd, aiid so should be all boxes. 

 Don't use a rough, black board for a cover ; you had better spend an hour 

 to plane it. Don't acknowledge, by sending unplaned boards, that you 

 don't own a plane. It is bad economy to use heavy packages, or have any 

 waste room, because freight is charged by the pound, and for long distances 



