THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



27 



BOXING POULTRY FOR MARKET. 



On the subject of boxing poultry for market Dr. BENNET says: "It 

 should be carefully packed in baskets or boxes, and above all, it should be 

 kept from the frost. A friend of mine, who was very nice in these matters, 

 used to bring his turkeys to market in the finest order possible, and always 

 obtained a ready sale and the highest market price. His method was to pick 

 them dry, while warm, and dress them in the neatest manner ; then take a 

 long, deep, narrow, tight box, with a stick running from end to end of the 

 box, and hang the turkeys by the legs over the stick, which prevents bruising 

 or disfiguring them in the least." The way poultry is frequently forwarded 

 to city markets is enough to disgust almost any one, and throws odium on 

 breeders as a class. 



THE MODE OF PACKING. 



All poultry should be thoroughly cooled before packing. Then provide 

 boxes, for they are preferable to barrels ; place a layer of rye straw that 

 has been thoroughly cleaned from dust, on the bottom. Commence packing 



by bending the head of the fowl under it (see figure 1 .) Then lay it in the 

 left hand corner, with the head against the end of the box, with the back 

 up ; continue to fill that row in the same manner until completed ; then begin 

 the second row the same way, letting the head of the bird pass up between 

 the rump of the two adjoining ones, which will make it complete and solid, 

 (see figure 2.) In packing the last row, reverse the order, placing the head 

 against the end of the box, letting the feet pass under each other ; should 

 there be a space left between these two rows wide enough to lay in a few 

 sideways, do so, passing the feet under the same way, but should it not be 

 wide enough, then fill tight with straw, so the poultry cannot move. This 

 gives a uniformity of appearance, and a firmness in packing that will prevent 

 moving during transportation. Over this layer, place straw enough to pre- 

 vent one layer from coming in contact with the other ; then add other layers, 

 packed in the same manner, until the box is filled. 



Care should be taken to have the box filled full, in order to prevent any 

 disarrangement of the contents ; for should they become misplaced, the skin 

 may become so badly disfigured as to cause a depreciation of the value to 

 the owner. Great care should be taken in packing not to skin the bird, 



