The Placer herald., 1862-04-12
AUBURN PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, APRIL 12, 1862
Dressing and Packing Poultry.


Never kill a bird unless it is fat. Never
cut off the head Of turkey or goose but
hang them by the heels where they cannot
bruise themselves in the death struggle, and
stick them with a small knife and bleed them
to death. Ducks and common fowls, if de-
captated, should be held or tied aud hung
up to bleed to death Never kill your birds
with full crops--you will lose in price more
than you will gain weight. Never strangle
them so as to leave the blood in. The best
rlan is tie all kinds Of birds to line drawn
from post to post, or tree to tree, and stick
them just in the forward end of the neck.
You may pick all sorts of birds dry, if you
don't tear the skin, but you must sca!d them
alterward by dipping them suddenly in and
out of scaiding water. Don't scald the legs
too much, whether you pick first or after
wards. Be careful of that. You must pick
them clean, and the after scalding makes
them plump and good. Never draw bird
1t is worth while to pay freight on intestines
because meat cannot be kept sweet long af
ter thev are drawn and the air admitted inside
of the body.
1t is the practice of the best poultry men
after the birds are plucked, to plunge them
suddenly into boiling water and then imme
diately into CO Id water. THIS gives them a
clean, plump appearance, and makes them
look fat, if they are in decently good con
dition when killed. Nothing, however, can
make poor bird look well, while i'll dressing
will make the best look poor. Lay the birds
upon boards, in cold room, till perfectly
cold but not frozen; as at all times, but es
pecially when there is a probability of damp
close weather, great care must be taken tina
the animal heat is out of them; and ther
pack in boxes with clean rye and oat straw
so that they must not touch each other,
about three or four hundred pounds in box,
filled up; mark the contents on paper in
side and on the lid outside, and direct to
your commission merchant plainly, and send
it by express, and the invoice by mail.
Never kill your birds on damp day, nor
pack them if you can avoid it, except in a
clear, dry, cold atmosphere; and try to avoid
help sleepy, and all of you careless. No
matter how light your boxes are, they must
look clean, or your poultry will not sell at
first prices. In packing, press the wings
close, and press the birds down hard on the
breast, the legs extending back; and fill each
course full. and t en- lay on straw and anolh
es course of birds. Nail tight, but don't let
a nail project inward to tear the bird. New
er pack in barrels, if you can get good dry
goods boxes as the ling of the larres in
jnres the poultry. Well packed boxes Of
well prepared birds will keep sweet for
long time in cool weather, and may be tran
sporel 10y express or by rail and arriving in
good ORDER can he sol reality at the high
est prices.
The late NJ. Soyer states that the best way
of killing poultry is to take the bird by the
neck, placing the thumb Of the right hand
just back of the head. c.osing the head in
your hand, your left holding the bird, then
press your thumb down hard and pull the
head and neck contrawise; the neck will
break off instantaneousy, the bird will be
quite dead in few seconds; then hang it for
a short time by the legs for the blood to
flow into the head, which renders the flesh
much whier. "In France he adds) we
usually kill them by cutting the throat close
to the head. Both methods are good with
regard to the whiteness Of the flesh; but |
prefer the English method not being so bar
barous." Ohio Farmer.