POULTRY. 
277 
at good prices. Poultry may be picked dry without difficulty, if done 
immediately after killing. For scalding poultry, the water should be as 
near the boiling point as possible, without actually boiling ; the bird, 
held by the legs, should be immersed and lifted up and down in the 
water, three times — the motion helps the hot water to penetrate the 
plumage, and take proper effect upon the skin. Continue to hold the 
bird by the legs with one hand, while plucking the feathers with the 
other without a moment’s delay after taking out — if skillfully handled 
in this way, the feathers and pin-feathers may all be removed without 
breaking the skin. A torn or broken skin greatly injures the appear- 
ance, and the price will be low in proportion. The intestines or the crop 
should not be “drawn.” After removing the feathers, the head may be 
taken off and the skin drawn over the neck-bone and tied ; it should 
next be “plumped” by being dipped into water, nearly or quite boiling 
hot, and then at once into cold water about the same length of time. 
Some think the hot plunge sufficient without the cold. It should be 
entirely cold but not frozen before being packed. If it reaches market 
without freezing it will sell all the better. In packing, when practicable, 
use clean hand-threshed rye-straw ; if this cannot be had, wheat or oat 
straw will answer, but be sure that it is clean and free from dust of any 
kind. Place a layer of straw at the bottom, then alternate layers of 
poultry and straw, taking care to stow snugly, back upward, legs under 
the body, filling vacancies with straw, and filling the packages so that 
the cover will draw down very snugly upon the contents, so as" to prevent 
shifting or shucking on the way. Boxes are the best packages, and 
should contain from one hundred and fifty to three hundred. Large boxes 
are inconvenient, and more apt to get injured. Number the packages, 
mark the contents, the gross weight, and the tare of each on the cover ; 
mark plainly to our address, placing your own initials also on the pack- 
age, and send invoice and railroad receipt by mail, to avoid errors or 
delay in reporting sales. 
Eggs require special care in packing. First— secure strong aud 
substantial barrels, cither good second-hand barrels, or new split-stave 
oak ones. Commence by putting a small quantity of clean wheat or oat 
straw at the bottom of the barrel ; cover this with dry, sound oats, as 
clean, bright, and as free from dust as you can get them, say about 
two inches of uniform depth. Then pack eggs on the side, leaving a 
space of three-quarters of an inch between the outside tier and Ute 
staves; fill up the layers by making regular tiers. Carefully avoid pack- 
ing so close together as to crowd them. Use plenty of oats, and shake 
the barrel well after covering each layer with oats! Leave a space of 
about three inches at the top, and cover the top layer of e<>-crs with about 
two inches’ depth of oats. Cut, of brown paper, a circle sheet that will 
just, fit the barrel, and lay it on the oats. Then put on this a sufficient 
quantity of wheat or oat straw, or dry hay, to require a strong pressure 
to get the head into the crozen. Examine eggs closely, and be particular 
in counting. Always mark the quantity of eggs in dozens, and the 
number of bushels of oats contained in each barrel upon the head, and 
also upon the side of each barrel, with the initials of your name or firm. 
Eggs packed in this manner will command ready sale in this city, at the 
