386 THE BEGINNER IN POULTRY 



cracked ice follow, on the top of which is laid a large 

 chunk of solid ice. All is hooped down close by a last 

 piece of added burlap. The fowls are packed in rings 

 around the outside the barrel, heads down, legs straight, 

 and pointed toward the center, so that the next layer 

 of ice will fall between the poultry and the staves. The 

 middle of the layer is filled in at will, just as they seem 

 to fit most closely. 



The water for dressing should be at boiling point, but 

 not boiling. To overscald makes the yellow outer skin 

 graze off ; to underscald increases the chances that the 

 stock will become slippery on the way to market. 



In cold weather, poultry is packed dry, without pack- 

 ing between, or with only clean, hand-thrashed, bright 

 wheat or rye straw, which must also be dry. If no 

 packing is used, thick manila paper lines the barrel. 

 Whether scalded or dry-picked, two points are vital : 

 every bit of animal heat must be out of the stock, and 

 the bodies must be perfectly dry before packing. If 

 not, bad conditions will shortly develop. 



The customary belief and advice that dry picking is 

 always the only first-class method, is a fallacy. Thin 

 poultry brings more when scalded, as it thus looks a 

 bit less thin. Offerings of chickens and turkeys may 

 be dry picked only when very fat and of fine quality. 

 Ducks and geese should always be scalded. This is 

 done by sousing them up and down in water just at 

 boiling point three or four or more times, till the water 

 penetrates to the skin. They are then wrapped in 

 blanket cloth about two minutes ; this makes the down 

 roll off with the feathers. 



Packages should be clean, neatly made, and as light 



