192 POULTRY-CRAFT. 
quickly wet. If the water is not hot enough the feathers are not loosened, and 
are removed with difficulty; if it is too hot, the skin is partly cooked, and the 
carcass when cold is blotched and discolored. The legs are dry picked before 
scalding. The. bird, held by the legs axd head, that the comb may not be 
discolored and the eyes shrunk by the scalding water—is plunged into the 
water several times (sowsed) that the water may thoroughly saturate the 
feathers. Then the feathers are removed as quickly as possible. When 
clean, the carcass is plumped by being plunged for a few seconds in very hot 
water, then, immediately in cold water. In warm weather it should be cooled 
as described for dry picked fowls, in water; in cold weather it may be hung 
up to cool. 
285. A Few Important Points.— Whichever method is used, the 
appearance of the carcass is improved by scalding and skinning the feet. 
If the skin is torn in picking, it should be sewed up with common white 
thread. 
The general rule is to leave heads on and entrails in, but sometimes fowls 
shipped in cold weather are headed and drawn — except broilers, which are 
never sent to market drawn and headed. 
In dressing capons the feathers are left on the neck, tail, wings, and thighs. 
The object of cooling is to get the animal heat out of the body as quickly as 
possible. Putrefaction begins very early in a warm carcass. 
286. Packing Poultry for Shipment.— Poultry should be packed in 
boxes or barrels dized with paper, but should not be wrapped in paper; nor 
should straw be used in the packing. The packing should be done in such 
manner that the carcasses will retain their shape, and will not shift in the 
package. The method of packing fowls is 
shown in Fig. 81. Some packers pack 
broilers also in this way; others pack them 
with breasts down on the bottom layer, and 
up on the top layer. Commission men 
advise shippers to use boxes in preference to 
barrels for shipping poultry, and recommend 
using neat boxes of clean, planed lumber, 
uniform in size, because attractive packages 
j ; sell better. Boxes should be made of five- 
(Be gare is a age eighths inch lumber, and made deep enough 
to contain two layers of carcasses. The dimensions of the boxes vary with 
the sizes of the fowls, and the number to be placed in each. As giving a 
general idea of the proportions to be observed : — one commission house rec- 
ommends using boxes S x 16 x 22 inches; another, boxes 10 x 20x 30 inches. 
Not more than one kind of poultry should be put in a package. The kind and 
weight of poultry in the package, and full shipping directions, should be 
marked on it. 
