THE POULTRY AND EGG INDUSTRY IN EUROPE 29 
ity through the opening between the shoulders. The flap of skin is 
then drawn over the neck and across the back, where it is held in 
plaoe by locking the wings across it and by a trussing string. This 
trussing string is drawn through the bird by passing a long needle 
through the wings, the second joint, the body of the bird, the second 
joint on the opposite side, the wing and back through the skin flap, 
and the two ends drawn tightly together and tied. Then the pin 
bones are broken away from each side of the backbone at the rear, 
the hock joints tied to the rear of the bird by threading a string 
through the joint, the rear end of the backbone, and the other hock 
joint, and tying. As a result of this breaking down of the breast- 
bone and the trussing, when exposed for sale a chicken is very flat 
and resembles the dressed appearance of a duck rather than a 
chicken. This method of dressing is also known to some extent in 
Denmark. Although it makes a pleasing appearance in the market, 
the bird is hard to carve when on the table, because of the presence 
of a large number of broken bones. The giblets, the head, and the 
feet, which are cut off, are sold separately. 
A REFRIGERATED POULTRY PACKAGE 
When shipping local less-than-carlot shipments of poultry by 
express to such distances that cooling is necessary or when it is 
desired that the birds reach the consumer in the best possible condi- 
tion, a very ingenious method of refrigeration has been devised in 
Italy. A deep hamper is lined with parchment paper. Then a layer 
of finely crushed ice mixed with sawdust is placed in the bottom of 
the hamper. This mixed ice and sawdust has a thickness of ap- 
proximately 4 inches. This is covered with another piece of parch- 
ment paper. On this parchment is placed a layer of poultry, packed 
as tightly as possible, butts up and necks down: then another piece 
of parchment paper; then another layer of poultry, packed necks 
up and butts down. The whole is then covered with another piece of 
parchment paper, on top of which is spread another layer of crushed 
ice and sawdust, which in turn is protected by more parchment 
paper. After the lid is closed there is a tightly packed package of 
poultry with ice and sawdust on each side. At first thought it 
would seem that it was useless to use the sawdust in the ice because 
of its tendency to prevent melting, with a consequent loss of refrig- 
eration, but as a matter of fact the slow melting of the ice is exactly 
what is desired. The poultry is not quite as cool as it would have 
been if the ice was not mixed with sawdust, but the refrigerating 
effect is continued longer and the poultry is cooled the two or three 
days it may be on the road. This same method of packing is used 
for butter. 
WHOLESALE SELLING OF POULTRY 
Live poultry is sold at wholesale in almost exactly the same 
manner as in our large cities in the United States. The poultry is 
shipped to a commission man or a jobber by an individual producer 
or a smaller dealer in the country. Sales are made by the commis- 
sion men to the retailers and returns are made to the shipper on 
either a percentage commission or a fixed-cost basis. When on a 
commission basis the jobber pays the freight or other delivery 
