CHAP. XIV.] FARMING TOR LADIES. 291 



The common mode of killing foiols is to 

 cut the throat across, and hold the bird by its 

 legs — thus allowing it to bleed to death, from 

 an idea that if the blood be not discharged, it 

 will discolour the flesh, and render it less easy 

 to keep in warm weather. We must admit 

 that there may be much truth in this notion ; 

 but others assert that the discharge of the 

 blood occasions the meat to become dry, and 

 partly deprive it of flavour ; and the poulterer 

 — who ought, we imagine, to be the best 

 judge — performs the operation by holding the 

 bird, with the left hand, by the legs and 

 wings, whilst with the right, he, with a stroke 

 or two, breaks the neck, and then hangs it up 

 by the legs, loithout cutting it. This mode is 

 certainly the most humane, as well as the 

 easiest, of the two, and is founded upon the 

 principle — as stated by the poulterer — that 

 the blood descends to the head without in- 

 juring the meat, while partly preserving its 

 juiciness ; but, although we have frequently 

 eaten of fowls when killed in both ways, we 

 could never perceive any difference in the 

 flavour of either : as a medium between the 

 two, we should, therefore, recommend that 



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