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THE MARKETING OF POULTRY PRODUCTS. 1S 
When piercing the brain in this way, do not withdraw the 
knife after cutting the blood vessels, but thrust it up through 
the roof of the mouth into the back part of the brain and give 
ita half turn. Then insert in the lower mandible one of the 
hooks attached to a small receptacle, as described above, and 
all of the blood will be caught. Should extra weight be 
needed to keep the bird’s head still, it may be secured by 
partially filling the pail with corn meal. If the stunning is to 
be done with a club, use the knife to start the blood as directed 
above, and then hook the pail into place. Next grasp the 
bird by the wings or body and strike it a sharp blow upon the 
back of the head, thus immediately rendering it entirely insen- 
sible to pain. A sudden spasmodic stiffening of the muscles is 
the sign that the blow has been effective. Strike squarely, as 
a glancing blow will often peel quite a piece of skin from the 
head, making it unsightly. 
Although stunning the bird is not necessary when the feath- 
ers are to be removed by scalding, it certainly is more humane 
to do so. 
SCALDING. 
The receptacle in which the scalding is done should be of 
sufficient size and depth to permit the body of the bird being 
entirely submerged. The water should be hot, not quite at 
the boiling point, but near it. When many birds are to be 
scalded it is decidedly convenient to keep the scalding-tank 
upon a fire sufficiently hot to maintain the temperature of the 
water at the right degree. 
After the bird has practically finished bleeding, take it by 
the head and feet and immerse it in the water, once with the 
back upward and once with the breast, leaving it in the water 
but a very short time. The head must not be placed in the 
water, or it will soon appear dark and shrunken. Usually 
twice dipping will suffice to properly start the feathers, when 
picking should immediately begin. Again hang the bird up, 
and pluck the feathers as-rapidly as possible. Use extreme 
care not to rub the skin, as it will surely become discolored 
wherever this occurs. As soon as the feathers are entirely 
removed, the carcass should be plunged again into the scalding 
