FINISH AND SHAPING 



155 



back board six inches wide and the front five inches, 

 and thirty inches long; (3) the bottom stay; (4) three 

 loose boards, half an inch shorter than the troughs and 

 four inches wide. It is better to use smooth boards 

 five-eighths or three-quarters inch thick, and fit the 

 whole firmly together. 



The operation is as follows : As soon as the birds 

 are plucked, which should be done carefully and thor- 

 oughly, the hocks are tied loosely together, so the legs 



Pig. 43 FRENCH SHAPING CLOTHS 



are flat against either side of the breast. Before doing 

 so some of the most skillful fatteners draw the meat 

 upward by means of the hands, and this undoubtedly 

 improves the appearance of the bird, though it must 

 be done carefully to prevent breaking of the skin. The 

 operator strikes the stern against a wall, thus flattening 

 and making it fit the shaping trough more easily. Each 

 bird is laid in the trough breast down, with the neck 

 and head hanging over the front. The first bird is 

 pressed firmly against the end of the trough, and a 

 glazed brick or weight laid by the side to keep it in 



