Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-01-14
w. d. WALLACH.
PREPARING FOWLS FOR MARKET.


of the clean and neat condition in which poul-
try is brought to market, presenting quite
contrast with our slovenly practice It NAV
have been true In times past that purchasers
would not pay the farmer for the care in fat
tening and preparing poultry in proper man
ner, that good and bad all sold at the same
price, but such is not now the case. All intel
ligent purchasers, especially those who buy for
the New York and other Eastern markets will
pay readily from one to two cents per pound
more Tor good fowls well dressed, than for those
brought to market in the ordinary condition
practice which is both unprof table and sloven-
D.. ..,..-' ,--.. -,
FLTrEsTxG Young fowls that have the run
OF the barn yard with plenty Of grsin, make
healthy birds, which no one but gourmand
weuld dsspi.e but unless very early chick ems,
IL cross of the large Eastern breeds, which
have become so much mixed up with our barn
yard fowls. They do not mature early. and
while this admixture has doubled the size and
weight Of the bodies brought to market, we lose
the plumpness and fatness of our old small kind,
which, if hatched early, obtained maturity
about midsummer, and q tolerable degree of
fstness during the sutumn months. With or
dinary keeping the large fowls do not get their
growth until autumn, and If then killed with
out fattening, are heavy, lean, and lack juici
ness and favor. The only way to make them
N
process, just as we do our pigs and cattle. We
would by no means recommend the barbsrous
system Of StHt5ng, once quite common among
poultry dealers Of Europe, and still practiced
to some extent. The idea offorcing cooked meal
and grease down the throat of fowl when the
stomach is already 30 full that no delicscy can
tempt the bird to receive more, is too revolving
for serious consideration. Neither would we
advise confning fowls in dark place, where
they will feel uneasy under the restraint, and
unless stuffed will lose flesh for a week or two
until they become reconciled to the oonfne-
ment. What We weuld advise is the confne-
ment Of the fowls designed for killing in COM
Portable, clean house, with small range attach
ed, where they shall be provided with plenty
OF fattening food, such as cooked corn, Oat or
barley meal, with potatoes, &C., q change being
necessary to induce them to eat more freely.
kILLINe.-It is a miserable practice to stran-
gle fowls The head should be taken of at q
single blow. For some markets it is best to
leave the heads on, and in this case cut the Jug
ular vein at the side of the neck Just under the
gills. Pick before the bird becomes cold
Scalding Injuries the appearance Of the flesh,
particularly Of the fat, and makes the skin
tender, 50 that it peels, unless handled with
great care. Pick the wings to the ends, and
do not cut them OF. After picking, remove
the intestines, and wipe out the inside with a
dry cloth, but do net take out the gizzard
The body should not be washed, but any bleod
cloth. After this il done, hang up in a cool,
dry room, until all are cool, and you have suf-
notent to carry TO market. For some market
dealers will not purchase fowls when they are
drawn. This is q foolish notion, as the excre-
ments iDjure the flesh, if allowed to remain a
great while, but must be humored by the farmer
and poultry dealer, until people learn better.
CAPoNIzIEs.- in our opinion, is
barbarous operation, and in this country we
have not the epicures to make the practice
profitable. We would not give the process,
but il, is called for by several inquiries before
rs. English works that treat Of this subject
give q list Of instruments necessary for the
operation almost sufficient to set up a surgeon,
but the peasant women of France are said to
be most successful, and their mode of operating
the most simple. 1t is thus described The
practice Of the French country women is to
select the close Of the spring, or the beginning
Of autumn, as well as fine weather, for the per-
formance Of their work. The parts necessary
TO be removed being fixed in the abdomen, and
attached to the spine at the region Of the loins,
IL is absolutely necessary to open the sbdomi-
nal cavity for the purpose of their extraction.
The bird should be healthy, fasting and about
three months old. He is then to be secured
by an assistant, upon his back, his belly up
wards, and his head down, that the intestines,
30, may fall up toward the breast the tail is
to be toward the operator. The right leg is
then carried along the body, and the left
50 as to leave the left flank perfectly bare for
it 10 there that the incisisn is to be made. The
said inoision is to be directed from before
backwards, tranverseiy to the length Of the
body, at the middle Of the flank and slightly
TO the side between the ends Of the breast bone
and vent Having plucked away the feathers
from the space where it is intended 70 make
the inoision, you take q bistoury or Q scalpsl,
and cut through the skin, abdominal muscles,
and peritensum; 1t Is better to do this at two
or more cuts, in order to avsid the possibility
Of wounding the intsstines-s casualty that
would, in most cases, be attended with fatal
results. The intestines present themselves at
the oriGce; bat you must not suffer them to come
out; on the contrary, you press them gen tly
aside, % as to have room for ASTON. may
observe, that the incision should have been
sufieiently large to admit Of the forefnger,
previously we'll oiled, being passed into The
abdomen, and carried carefully toward the
lumbar region Of the spine; you will there ind
what you are in search Of. You first reach the
left substance, which you detach with your
nail, or with your finger bent hook fashion;
then you arrive at the right, which you treat
similsrly-bring both substances forth; you
finally return the intestinee, SOW up the wound
with silk threads very few stitches will
suhice- and smear the place with . little fresh
butter. The comb Of the capon does not grow
to any size, and always retains pslld color.
The process having been performed as above
described, the bird is placed in q warm house,
where there are no perches, as, IL such sppli.
ances were present, the new.msds capon might
very probably injure himselfin his attempts to
perch, and perhaps evsn tear open the ntures,
and possibly occasion the operation, usually
simple and free from danger, to terminate
fatally. For about q week, the food Of the bird
should be soft ost meal porridge, and that in
small quantities, sltsrnated with bread stepped
In milk; be may be given as much pure water
as be viii drink; but recommend that it be
tepid, or at least that the chill be taken sfit
At the end Of q week, or, at the furthest, ten
days, the bird, il he has been previously of
sound, vigorous constitution, viii be all right,
and may be turned cut into the walk common
TO all your fowl .+a" 10 II
The ~Mslays are particularly adapted for
caponizing, and, when properly fattsned, at q
suitable time after the operation, attain bulk
and weight that would surprise such persons as
have never seen q caponiEed specimen Of that
breed; the birds, In fact, rivsling the finest
turkeysD fs-