47 



Run the blade of the knife up through the top of the mouth 

 into the brain and immediately pass to another squab, letting 

 the one just killed bleed, as it is necessary for the bird to be 

 free from blood to prevent red spots from appearing along 

 its back after it has been killed a few hours. These red 

 spots are called "blisters" and injure the selling qualities 

 of a squab which shows them. 



After the birds are thoroughly bled, carefully pick the 

 feathers from them, being careful not to tear the skin in any 

 place, as this also lowers the value in the market. 



When a squab is plucked clean, throw it into a tub of 

 water from a spring or well of the normal temperature. 

 It may be left in this water from thirty minutes to an hour. 

 Then it should be thrown into a tub of ice-cold water to 

 further cool and solidify the flesh, for all the animal heat 

 must be chilled out before a squab is packed or it will not 

 keep well, arriving in the market soft and unattractive in 

 appearance. 



Be very careful to have the second chilling water almost 

 cold enough to freeze the birds. In cold weather they soon 

 cool out in water which has been exposed to the air, but at 

 any time in the year put first in well or spring water of 

 normal temperature. 



Picking a squab is a matter of sleight and experience. It 

 may go awkwardly at first, but one soon becomes expert, 

 and boys and girls soon learn to pick them rapidly without 

 tearing the skin. 



■ After the squabs are picked and cooled, pack them in ice 

 in barrels or boxes. We prefer rather small boxes, say 

 about the size of soap boxes, but many thousand pairs are 



