BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY. 1169 



dividing the meirfbrane ; tiius the bird is killed instantly. Then deftly 

 cut the throat and let it bleed. The nicest way to pick, is without scald- 

 ing and while the bird is quite warm. It may be easily done and the 

 bird not torn ; thus dressed it will bring enough more in a city market to 

 pay the extra trouble. 



To Scald a Fowl.— A well known buyer and dresser for the Chicago 

 market, in answer to the question, how to ciress and pack, gave the writer 

 the following information which is here reproduced : 



Have the water just scalding hot — not hoiling — 190 degrees is just 

 right. Immerse the fowl, holding it by the legs, taking it out and in, 

 until the feathers slip easily. Persons become very expert at this, the 

 feathers coming away by brushing them with the hand, apparently. At 

 all events, they must be picked clean. Hang turkeys and chickens by 

 the feet, and ducks and geese by the head to cool. Under no circum- 

 stances whatever, should ducks and geese be scalded ; they must invaria- 

 bly be picked dry. Take off the heads of the chickens as soon as picked, 

 tie the skin neatly over the stump, draw out the insides carefully, and 

 hang up to cool. Never sell fowls undrawn. They will bring enough 

 more drawn and nicely packed, with the heart, gizzard and liver placed 



inside each fowl, to pay for the trouble. Let them get thoroughly cool 



as cold as possible— but never, under any circumstances, frozen. There 

 is always money in properly prepared poultry ; the money is lost in half 

 fitting them for market, the fowls often being forwarded in a most dis- 

 gusting state. There is money in the production of eggs ; there is 

 money in raising poultry for the market. The money is lost in improper 

 packing, and in a foolish attempt, occasionallv made, to maLe the buyer 

 pay for a crop full of musty corn, at the price of first-class meat. 



XIX. Packing and Shipping to Market. 

 The poultry, having been killed as directed, carefully picked, the heads 

 cut off, and the skin drawn over the stump and neatly tied — or if pre_ 

 f erred, leave the head on, the fowl will not bring less for it — and the 

 birds chilled down to as near the freezing point as possible, provide clean 

 boxes and place a layer of clean hay or straw quite free from dust, in the 

 bottom. Pick up a fowl, bend the head under and to one side of the 

 breast bone, and lay it down flat on its breast, back up, the legs extena^ 

 ing litraight out behind. The first fowl to be laid in the left hand corner. 

 So placed, lay a row across the box to the right, and pack close, row by 

 row, until only one row is left, then reverse the heads, laying them next 

 the other end of the box, the feet under the previous row of heads. If 

 tliere is a space left between the two last rows, put in what birds will fit 

 sideways. If not, pack in clean. Icng straw, and also pack in straw at the 



