FOWLS, TABLE AND MARKET. 189 



Every one who sends much poultry to market should 

 endeavor to have a way of his own for dressing his poultry 

 for market. He may prefer to market it undrawn, and with 

 the heads and legs on ; or he may take a fancy to go to 

 the other extreme, and send it French fashion, all ready to 

 be stuffed and spitted or laid in the roasting-pan. 



A recent law in the State of New York, not yet enforced, 

 so far as I am aware, requires all domestic poultry to be 

 drawn before it is sent to market. 



I have held that, if fowls are starved for twenty-four 

 hours before killing, it is best to leave them undrawn, and 

 with heads and legs on, and that thus they will keep sweet 

 longer than if drawn. If, however, they are to be drawn, 

 the head should be cut oft*, a small slit made in the skin of 

 the neck behind, the crop drawn out through the neck, 

 without making any incision in the breast, and the entrails 

 removed through a small cut in the abdomen. The carcass 

 should be wiped out, and the gizzard, heart and liver 

 returned. The skin is then drawn over the neck and tied 

 neatly, or, better, pinned in the back of the neck with a 

 very small skewer. 



In the French markets one sees fowls beautifully trussed, 

 and, to all appearance, ready for cooking. It is a taking 

 style, and would, no doubt, prove very attractive here 

 among private customers, if not in the open market. The 

 neck of the well-drawn fowl is crowded back into the breast, 

 and the skin drawn and tied or pinned over it close. Then 

 the ends of the wings are bent under the shoulders, and 

 made to lie flat upon the back. This gives a great expan- 

 sion to the chest, and throws the whole breast of the fowl 

 up, while the wings under the back lift it up, and show the 

 whole fowl off" to the best advantage. The legs are removed, 

 and the skin, which is quite loose in a dry-picked fowl, is 

 easily drawn over the thigh joipts, while a little steady press- 

 ure on the "drum-sticks" shoves the thighs and "second 

 joints " up under the skin until the ends of the drum-sticks 

 and the tail can be tied together. Even a thin fowl pre- 

 pared in this way looks plump and attractive, much more 

 one well fattened. When exposed for sale, if there is an 

 abundance of abdominal fat, the golden leaves may be 



