APPENDIX. 109 



Poultry is sent to market, dressed and stored, during the months of October, Novem- 

 ber, and December. The amount so stored, killed when poultry is in its best con- 

 dition, is intended to supply the market with the best goods obtainable until the 

 new stock comes in during the next receiving season. Necessarily, therefore, part 

 of this stock is carried for more than six months. 



In the letters forming a part of this pamphlet the statements on 

 this phase of the question are quoted as follows: 



When poultry is to be frozen, the best stock in the market is generally selected; 

 and if the same is killed and cooled properly, it can safely remain in cold storage for 

 fully two years, if necessary, without becoming tainted and injurious to health. How- 

 ever, it is seldom, or, I might say never, kept longer than eight months. * * * 



Poultry that is dressed and cooled off properly before going into cold storage will 

 come out in good wholesome condition any time, within at least one year, and it 

 would take a very good expert to tell the difference between good fresh frozen poultry 

 and fresh killed at time of eating. 



Another dealer states: 



Poultry with entrails in it can be kept in our modern freezers, where they shall be 

 frozen and kept at a very low temperature, and be held in storage one, two, or three 

 years, or even longer, without any detriment to the poultry itself, and on such poultry 

 there is no possible chance of there being any cause for fear of ptomaine poisoning. 



Another warehouseman in a letter states : 



Poultry placed in a freezer under proper conditions and kept at the right temper- 

 ature will keep an indefinite length of time and in healthful condition. 



Taking up the question of drawn and undrawn poultry, the 

 attorneys for the warehousemen came to the conclusion that — 



The experience of men well versed in the trade as to the desirability of drawing 

 poultry before storing, it is best shown by the letters printed herewith. From them 

 it will be seen that drawing poultry before putting it in the freezer is impracticable. 

 It will not keep as well drawn as undrawn. 



From the letters to which reference is made we find the following 

 statements : 



We have experimented with poultry in every form. We have found that it is 

 utterly impracticable to carry drawn poultry in the freezer. It is very similar to 

 any other product in that so long as it remains an air-tight package it can be carried 

 much better than when it is open to the atmosphere, which dries it, discolors, and 

 generally injures the inside texture of the bird when exposed. Further, of the 

 markets which buy the frozen poultry from us there is not one that can or will accept 

 it drawn; and although there is on the statute books in the State of Massachusetts a 

 law demanding that all poultry marketed dressed shall be drawn, the same is a dead 

 letter, and all our shipments to Boston and other Massachusetts cities are undrawn. 



Again, another dealer states: 



We are handling every year a small portion of storage poultry that is drawn, heads 

 and feet off, and we usually have to sell this class of goods at from 1 to 3 cents 

 below the price of the poultry that is undrawn with heads and feet on. I feel satisfied 

 that if we had to draw our poultry and depend on our customers to sell the same to, 

 we would have to quit the poultry business, as we certainly could not compete with 

 other cities that are selling undrawn poultry. I might say that I do not know of any 

 market in the United States where we would be able to sell drawn poultry, even at 

 a discount of from 1 to 3 cents per pound less than the undrawn poultry. 



