MARKETING POULTRY CARCASSES 
do this all right, if he will hustle around and find an outlet 
for the particular grade of goods, for he is in position to kill 
and dress the fowls more economically than the producer. 
I have never been able to study out why the average writer 
upon agricultural subjects is always advising the farmer to 
attempt to do difficult work for which special firms already 
exist. In the case of fattening just referred to, there is reason 
why the farmer may be able to do the work more successfully 
than the special establishment, but why any one should urge 
the farmer to turn the woodshed into a temporary poultry 
packing establishment I can hardly see. If the farmer has 
nothing to do he had better get a job at the poultry killing 
house where they have ice water and barrels in which to put 
the feathers. 
I do not think it worth while in this book for me to attempt 
to describe in detail the various methods of killing and pack- 
ing poultry for the various retail markets. The grower who 
contemplates killing his own stuff had better spend a day 
visiting the produce houses and market stalls and inquire 
which methods are locally in demand. 
Suggestions from Other Countries. 
In European countries generally, and especially in France 
and England, great pains is taken in the production of mar- 
ket poultry. Each farmer and each neighborhood become 
known in the market for the quality of their poultry, and the 
prices they receive vary accordingly. In these countries more 
poultry is fattened and dressed by.the growers than in the 
United States where we have greater specialization of labor. 
In countries that have an export trade different systems 
have originated. In Denmark and Ireland co-operative 
societies are organized to handle perishable farm products. 
These, however, deal more with eggs than with poultry. In 
portions of England the fattening is done by private fatteners. 
The ‘country being thickly settled, the chickens are collected 
directly from the farms by wagons making regular trips. This 
allows the rejection of the poor and immature specimens, 
whereas a premium may be paid on better stock. 
The greatest fault of poultry buying as conducted in this 
country is the evil of a uniform price. After chickens are 
dressed the difference of quality is readily discerned, and the 
price varies from fancy quotations to almost nothing for culls. 
The packer pays a given rate per pound for live hens or for 
spring chickens. The price is paid alike for the best poultry 
received or for the scrawniest chickens that can be coaxed to 
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