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and carefully drawn poultry will sell so much more readily 

 and for so much better prices that it pays well to comply witji 

 this demand. 



TO SCALD A FOWL. 



Where the fowl is to be eaten at home, or where it is sold 

 for immediate consumption, many prefer to remove the 

 feathers by scalding. There is a right and a wrong way to do 

 this. The right way is as follows : Kill in the manner de- 

 scribed in preceding section. After the blood has stopped 

 dripping from the wound take a wooden pail, or some other 

 receptacle, fill it three-fourths full of boiling water, and into 

 this pour a pint of cold water to reduce the temperature a 

 little below the boiling point. Take the fowl by the neck' and 

 legs and dip it into the water twice once with the breast 

 downward and once with the back getting it in and out of 

 the water as quickly as possible. Hang the fowl up again, and 

 begin to pluck. When the feathers have been removed and 

 the intestines drawn, dip out two quarts of water from the 

 pail, putting two quarts of boiling water in its place. Put the 

 carcass into this, and let it stay ten seconds, then take it out 

 and put it in water nearly if not quite ice cold, letting it stay 

 ten minutes. This, as has been explained, is "plumping," and 

 gives the carcass a very plump and inviting appearance. Put 

 a tablespoonful of salt into the cold water at the same time 

 the fowl is put in. Hang up the fowl in a cool place until it is 

 to be cooked or sold. Fowls treated in this way present an 

 excellent appearance, and will keep several days without dis- 

 coloration. 



PACKING AND SHIPPING. 



Carefully sew up all rents or torn places on the skin, wash 

 clean in cool water, wipe dry and hang in a cool place until 

 the animal heat is entirely out, before packing. Pack in 

 clean barrels or boxes with clean straw, as follows : First a 

 thin layer of straw and then a layer of poultry in the same 

 posture in which they roost, then a layer of straw and an- 

 other of poultry, and so on until the barrel or box is quite full, 

 finishing with a layer of straw, which should be tucked firmly 

 into any crevices in the sides. Nail the corners or head on 

 securely, and mark carefully with the name and address of the 

 dealer to whom you ship, not forgetting your name and ad- 

 dress as shipper, and notify the dealer by postal or letter that 



