PREPARING SQUABS POR MARKET 115 



from odors. These can be found at almost any grocery store. 

 Line the bo.\ with clean newspapers or some heavy paper and 

 allow the paper to extend above the sides of the box so that it 

 can be folded over when the box is packed. Cover the bottom 

 of the box with cracked ice about the size of a piKcon's egg. 

 This layer'of ice should be from three to four inclies thick. On 

 this place a layer of scjuabs packing them close to each other 

 and alternating liead and feet. On these jilace another layer of 

 ic(^ this time having it finely cracked so that it will fill all 

 of the small spaces around the layer of s(|\ialis just |iut in. 

 Repeat these alternate layers of ice and squabs until witliin 

 about three inches of the toji of the box. In this spaci" is placed 

 another good thick layer of ice and on top of fiiat ahout t\\o 

 courses of papei'. .hisl liefore nailing up the package place a 

 card ijiside showing the name of the slupper, the nurnher of 

 the shipment, the date shijiped an<l the nundn'r and weights 

 of the S((ual)S. .Ml s(|ual)s should lie weighed before packing. 

 Do not be afi'aid of using too nnieh ice. Hemembei' that ice is 

 a gi-eat deal cheaper than squab meat and moreover that the 

 express companies wiU allow a reduction of twenty-five per cent 

 on the gross weight of the package for the ice. Ti'>' to place 

 squabs of oni' size in each package if possible. This may cause 

 an extra package or two but the shipment as a whole i)resents 

 a better appearance upon reaching the market, and will tend 

 to bring better jjrices. New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, 

 San Francisco, and Saint Louis, all have commission merchants 

 who are eager to get regular shipments and who are paying 

 good prices. The names of these firms will appear elsewhere in 

 this book. 



For private trade in the same town squabs should be dressed 

 and delivered in pasteboard cartons, each squab carefiUly 

 wrapped in tissue paper. Make the packages as attractive as 

 jiossible. 



h'or shipinenl to nearh\' towns where trains are freipient \\r 

 use pai'cel post in the winter and ship b\' exjiress in the sunuuer 

 months. \\'hen sipiafis are shipped by jiarcel iiost we wrap 



