i 9 2 POULTRT-CRAFT. 



quickly wet. If the water is not hot enough the feathers are not loosened, and 

 are removed with difficulty ; if it is too hot, the skin is partly cooked, and the 

 carcass when cold is blotched and discolored. The legs are dry picked before 

 scalding. The bird, held by the legs and head, that the comb may not be 

 discolored and the eyes shrunk by the scalding water is plunged into the 

 water several times (soused) that the water may thoroughly saturate the 

 feathers. Then the feathers are removed as quickly as possible. When 

 clean, the carcass is plumped by being plunged for a few seconds in very hot 

 water, then, immediately in cold water. In warm weather it should be cooled 

 as described for dry picked fowls, in water ; in cold weather it may be hung 

 up to cool. 



285. A Few Important Points. Whichever method is used, the 

 appearance of the carcass is improved by scalding and skinning the feet. 



If the skin is torn in picking, it should be sewed up with common white 

 thread. 



The general rule is to leave heads on and entrails in, but sometimes fowls 

 shipped in cold weather are headed and drawn except broilers, which are 

 never sent to market drawn and headed. 



In dressing capons the feathers are left on the neck, tail, wings, and thighs. 



The object of cooling is to get the animal heat out of the body as quickly as 

 possible. Putrefaction begins very early in a warm carcass. 



286. Packing Poultry for Shipment. Poultry should be packed in 

 boxes or barrels lined 'with paper, but should not be wrapped in paper ; nor 

 should straw be used in the packing. The packing should be done in such 

 manner that the carcasses will retain their shape, and will not shift in the 



package. The method of packing fowls is 

 shown in Fig. Si. Some packers pack 

 broilers also in this way ; others pack them 

 with breasts down on the bottom layer, and 

 up on the top layer. Commission men 

 advise shippers to use boxes in preference to 

 barrels for shipping poultry, and recommend 

 using neat boxes of clean, planed lumber, 

 uniform in size, because attractive packages 

 sell better. Boxes should be made of five- 

 eighths inch lumber, and made deep enough 

 to contain two layers of carcasses. The dimensions of the boxes vary with 

 the sizes of the fowls, and the number to be placed in each. As giving a 

 general idea of the proportions to be observed : one commission house rec- 

 ommends using boxes 8 x 16 x 22 inches ; another, boxes 10 x 20 x 30 inches. 

 Not more than one kind of poultry should be put in a package. The kind and 

 weight of poultry in the package, and full shipping directions, should be 

 marked on it. 



