PEEPAKING FOE MAEKET 131 



inches long, hooked and pointed at the upper end, and 

 weighted at the lower end with a piece of lead the size 

 of a hulled walnut. Four birds are killed in turn, and 

 picking begins on 'No. 1 as soon as dead. Novices may 

 kill and pick but one at a time until some speed is 

 gained, but an expert picker will kill four and "rougli 

 pick" them all before they get too cold. 



Dressing the Squabs — Allow the birds to remain 

 suspended, but release the wings, grasping them both 

 in the left hand back of the bird. Moisten the thumb 

 and fingers of the right hand in the pan of water, and 

 begin picking the neck, leaving about three-quarters of 

 an inch next the head unpicked. Still hold the wings 

 m the left hand until the entire front of the bird, legs 

 included, is picked. Then, bringing the wings in front 

 of the bird, hold in the left hand as before, and remove 

 the balance of feathers from the body. ISTow, with 

 wings still in left hand, pluck quills from both wings 

 at once, and also the larger feathers, and then finish 

 each wing separately. This completes the "rough 

 picking," after which they must be pinfeathered, in 

 which operation a small knife is helpful. An expert 

 picker, when he has finished the third bird, kills three 

 more so that they may be bleeding while he is at work 

 with the fourth. As soon as finished each squab is 

 dropped into a tub of cold water to drive out the animal 

 heat and make the birds more firm and plump. An 

 expert picker can kill and "rough pick" twenty squabs 

 an hour or completely dress twelve to fifteen in the 

 same time. 



It pays well to use care in picking not to tear the 

 skin or leave any feathers on the birds. Well-fattened 

 birds are seldom torn by the expert picker. The 

 weighted wire is of advantage in slightly stretching the 

 skin and making it less liable to tear. When all the 

 squabs are dressed, the feet and mouths must be thor- 



