POTILTET. 135 



at good prices. Poultry may be picked dry without difficulty, if done 

 immediately after killing. For scalding poultry, the water should be as 

 near the boiling point as possible, without actually boiling ; the bird, 

 held by the legs, should be immersed and lifted up and down in the 

 water, three times — the motion helps the hot water to penetrate the 

 plumage, and take proper effect upon the skin. Continue to hold the 

 bird by the legs with one hand, while plucking the feathers with the 

 other without a moment's delay after taking out — if skillfully handled 

 in this way, the feathers and pin-feathers may all be removed without 

 breaking the skin. A torn or broken skin greatly injures the appear- 

 ance, and the price will be low in proportion. The intestines or the crop 

 should not be " drawn." After removing the feathers, the head may be 

 taken off and the skin drawn over the neck-bone and tied ; it should 

 next be "plumped" by being dipped into water, nearly or quite boiling 

 hot, and then at once into cold water about the same length of time. 

 Some think the hot plunge sufficient without the cold. It should be 

 entirely cold but not frozen before being packed. If it reaches market 

 without freezing it will sell all the better. In packing, when practicable, 

 use clean hand-thresbed rye-straw ; if this cannot be hdH, wheat or oat 

 straw will answer, but be sure that it is clean and free from dust of any 

 kind. Place a layer of straw at the bottom, then alternate layers of 

 poultry and straw, taking care to stow snugly, back upward, legs under 

 the body, filling vacancies with straw, and filling the packages so that 

 the cover will draw down very snugly upon the contents, so as to prevent 

 shifting or shucking on the way. Boxes are the best packages, and 

 should contain from one hundred and fifty to three hundred. Large boxes 

 are inconvenient, and more apt to get injured. Number the packages, 

 mark the contents, the gross weight, and the tare of each on the cover ; 

 mark plainly to our address, placing your own initials also on the pack- 

 age, and send invoice and railroad receipt by mail, to avoid errors or 

 delay in reporting sales. 



Eggs require special care in packing. First — secure strong and 

 substantial barrels, either good second-hand barrels, or new split-stave 

 oak ones. Commence by putting a small quantity of clean wheat or oat 

 straw at the bottom of the barrel ; cover this with dry, sound oats, as 

 clean, bright, and as free from dust as you can get them, say about 

 two inches of uniform depth. Then pack eggs on the side, leaving a 

 space of three-quarters of an inch between the outside tier and the 

 staves ; fill up the layers by making regular tiers. Carefully avoid pack- 

 ing so close together as to crowd them. Use plenty of oats, and shake 

 the barrel well after covering each layer with oats. Leave a space of 

 about three inches at the top, and cover the top layer of eggs with about 

 two inches' depth of oats. Cut, of brown paper, a circle sheet that will 

 just fit the barrel, and lay it on the oats. Then put on this a sufficient 

 quantity of wheat or oat straw, or dry hay, to require a strong pressure 

 to get the head into the crozen. Examine eggs closely, and be particular 

 in counting. Always mark the quantity of eggs in dozens, and the 

 number of bushels of oats contained in each barrel upon the head, and 

 also upon the side of each barrel, with the initials of your name or firm. 

 Eggs packed in this manner will command ready sale in this city, at the 



