PO UL TR r- CRAFT. 193 



287. Packing Iced Poultry in Warm Weather. 



"Leave heads on and entrails in. Strong sound barrels (sugar barrels preferred) are 

 best for ice packing, and the ice should be washed before using. Place a good layer of 

 broken ice on the bottom of the barrel, then a layer of poultry, commencing in the middle 

 and packing in a circle, with heads down, backs up, and feet toward the center; then 

 alternate layers of ice and poultry, filling the barrel to within six inches of the top, taking 

 care to have ice between the poultry and the staves of the barrel ; top off with large pieces 

 of ice, and cover the barrel with bagging, (which insures its being kept right side up), 

 and mark with brush or stencil. If shipped from any considerable distance, put an extra 

 large piece of ice on cop, and if properly packed, the poultry can be on the road fifty 

 hours without injury ; and if heavily iced and shipped in refrigerator car, can safely be 

 four or five days in transit ; but even for short distances, it is better to use ice, as poultry, 

 especially if not drawn, packed without it in warm weather, if only for an hour or two, 

 will turn green across the back, and become almost worthless." (W. H. Rudd, Son & 

 Co.'s instructions to shippers). 



288. Shipping Dressed Poultry in Cold Weather. In cold weather 

 a great deal of dressed poultry is shipped by freight. Shippers are usually 

 advised to send small lots going a considerable distance by express, especially 

 if transfers are to be made en route, because under such conditions small lots 

 are often delayed, and arrive in poor condition. The greater cost of transpor- 

 tation by express is more than offset by the better returns received for the 

 shipment. 



289. Hints on Selling Poultry and Eggs to Family Trade. - 



Establishing a Route. A poultryman producing choice goods, can get 

 better prices by selling direct to the best family trade than a provision dealer 

 could get from the same people for the same goods. If located near enough 

 to a large city or town to make regular deliveries, weekly or bi-weekly, one will 

 often find it most profitable to retail his own produce. A good route is not 

 established in a day. Into whatever territory one goes, he finds the field 

 already partially occupied. He has to work for what trade he gets. The 

 quality which most appeals to the largest number of consumers is cheapness. 

 The only object a poultryman can have in selling direct to consumers, is to 

 get the highest price obtainable. He finds some customers " ready made ; " 

 but while building up trade, his work is largely in the line of educating 

 buyers' tastes to the point where the cheapness of eggs and poultry no longer 

 appeals to them. This process takes time. The work of building up a 

 good route of desirable customers whose requirements can be calculated to a 

 nicety in advance, who buy freely and pay promptly, is not often completed 

 in less than two or three years. 



Regular Deliveries cannot be profitably made oftener than twice a week 

 when poultry products alone are handled ; nor is it to the interest of the pro- 

 ducer to make them less often. Eggs a week old are too old for this class of 

 trade. Tuesdays and Fridays the days before baking-days are the best 

 for delivering eggs, especially if one has more eggs than his established 

 trade takes, and desires to extend his route. Most people when they want 



