Money in Broilt.rs and Squabs. 139 



sometimes of African blood, pick harder and tear more easily than 

 Embden or other white-feathered varieties. 



The feathers should be picked from the lower third of the neck, 

 leaving about two-thirds of the length of the neck next to the head 

 unpicked. The wing feathers beyond the first joint are also left. 



_ The wings are pressed slightly toward the back in tying, and 

 their natural elasticity forces the breast meat and fat upwards so 

 that the bird looks plump, if well dressed and the cord is tight. 



Goslings are shipped to market by packing in boxes or barrels 

 with broken ice. The quantity of ice used depends upon the tem- 

 perature of weather at the time and the distance to which they have 

 to be shipped. 



In warm weather, when green goslings are usually dressed, 

 they are kept in barrels of ice and water until sent to market. The 

 birds should be freshly packed in ice and clean water as soon as the 

 bodily heat is thoroughly taken out of them. 



Sugar barrels are often used for shipping. One or two holes 

 ■should be bored in the bottom to allow surplus water to drain away. 

 A good layer of ice should be used at the top of the barrel, which 

 can then be covered with two or three thicknesses of burlap. 



Scalding is seldom practiced where birds are to be shipped and 

 "kept for some time before being sold ; but where birds are 

 slaughtered for immediate sale in a nearby market, the picking is 

 made very easy by scalding. The feathers, however, are of no value. 



In packing the head of the gosling is placed against the side of 

 the bird, which is then packed back downward on a layer of cracked 

 ice in the box or barrel. After enough have been packed to make 

 a layer, cracked ice is put in and another layer placed upon them 

 until the package is full. 



The shrinkage in dressing goslings is comparatively small, as 

 only the blood and feathers are lost. It occasionally happens that a 

 specimen will absorb sufficient ice water so that the dressed weight 

 will equal the live weight of the bird. As a rule, however, the 

 shrinkage is about 5 per cent, of the live weight. 



Where ducks and geese are sent to markets requiring them 

 ■drawn, they may be scalded; then wrap them in a cloth for two 

 ■minutes, when the feathers and down will come off clean. 



It is said that it is much harder to dress a gosling in cold 

 weather. The feathers set tighter, and in picking them the flesh is 

 torn. 



Farm and Home says those intending shipping should send to 

 dealers in poultry for modes of preparing for market, since modes 

 differ in different sections. 



In dressing Canada geese for market, the feathers of the head, 

 two-thirds or more of the neck, the wings and tail are left on the 

 bird, and serve to identify and guarantee the genuineness of its 



breeding. , j • , 



The feathers should be spread m some clean, dry, airy place to 

 cure If placed upon the floor of a loft they should be turned over 

 with a fork every few days until thoroughly dried. If put in bags 

 and well steamed they are more valuable, as the steam in a measure 



