124 PODLTKt FEEDING AND FATTENING 



the feathers. It is a good plan after scalding to wrap 

 them in a blanket, providing they are not left long 

 enough to partially cook the flesh. Another method, 

 and no doubt the best for loosening feathers, is to 

 steam them, and, whenever proper facilities are at hand, 

 we advise this process. It is poor policy to undertake 

 to save the feathers dry by picking them alive just 

 before the killing, as it causes the skin to become very 

 much inflamed and greatly injures the sale. 



Do not pick the feathers off the head, and it is well 

 to leave them on the neck close to the head for a space 

 of two or three inches. The feet should not be skinned, 

 nor the bodies singed for the purpose of removing any 

 down or hair, as the heat from the flame will cause 

 them to look oily and bad. The process of plumping 

 and cooling is the same as with turkeys and chickens. 

 There is no kind of poultry harder to sell at satisfactory 

 prices than poor, slovenly dressed geese and ducks, and 

 those who send in such must not be disappointed at low 

 prices. No poultry of any kind sent to the Chicago 

 market should be drawn. 



Boston Produce ■ Exchange Instructions — In fatten- 

 ing for the markets, remember that j'ou will not only 

 get pay for every pound your poultry gains, but by 

 improving the quality you gain from one-fourth to 

 one-half in price on the whole. This improved quality 

 is more likely to be gained by feeding corn than other- 

 wise. Give them all they will eat, and your poultry 

 will be more yellow and better than that fattened on 

 any other grain. 



Keep stock from food for twonty-four hours before 

 killing; because food in the crop injures the appearance, 

 is liable to sour, and consumers object to paying for this 

 worse-than-useless weight. All poultry, but more espe- 

 cially turkeys, sliould be killed by bleeding from the 

 neck, and picked immediately, while the body is warm. 



