448 
POULTRY, MANAGEMENT. 
We never scald ; the nicest way is to pick the fowl dry and while yet 
warm. A little care will prevent tearing the flesh, and the bird will 
bring enough extra in the market to make it pay. Most persons, how- 
ever, will prefer to scald, and for home consumption, or the villago 
market this will do. 
Have the water just scalding hot — not boiling — 190 degrees is just 
right. Immerse the fowl, holding it by the legs, taking it out and in,- 
until the feathers slip easily. Persons become very expert at this, the 
feathers coming away by brushing them with the hand, apparently. At. 
all events, they must be picked clean. Hang turkeys and chickens by 
the feet, and ducks and geese by the head, to cool. It should bo unnec- 
essary to say that under no circumstances whatever, should ducks and 
geese be scalded ; they must invariably be picked dry. Take off the 
heads of chickens as soon as picked, tie the skin neatly over the stump, 
draw out the insides carefully, and hang up to cool. Never sell fowls 
undrawn. They will bring enough more drawn and nicely packed, with 
the heart, gizzard and liver placed inside each fowl, to pay for the 
trouble. Let them get thoroughly cool — as cold as possible — but never, 
under any circumstances, frozen. There is always money in properly 
prepared poultry ; the monoy is lost in half fitting them for market, the 
fowls often being forwarded in a most disgusting state. There is monoy 
in the production of eggs ; there is money in raising poultry for the 
market. The money is lost in improper packing and in a foolish attempt 
occasionally made to make the buyer pay for a crop full of musty corn, 
at the price of first-class meat. It is that class of men, however, who ] 
are too smart ever to make money at anything. 
Packing for Market. 
The poultry, having been killed as directed, carefully picked, tho 
heads cut off, and the skin drawn over the stump and neatly tied — or if . 
preferred, leave the head on, the fowl will not bring less for it — and the 
birds chilled down to as near the freezing point as possible, provide clean ! 
boxes and place a layer of clean hay or straw quite free from dust, in tho 
bottom. Pick up a fowl, bend the head under and to one side of the 
breast bone, and lay it down flat on its breast, back up, the legs extend- 
ing straight out behind. The first fowl to be laid in tho left hand comer. ! 
So placed, lay a row across the box to the right, and pack close row by 
row, until only one row is left, then reverse tho heads, laying them next 
the other end of the box, the feet under the previous row of heads. If 
there is a space left between the two last rows, put in what birds will fit 
sideways. If not, pack in clean long straw, and also pack in straw at tho 
sides and between the birds, so they cannot move. Pack straw enough 
