Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1870-12-09
poultrp.


A bird picked clean, and without II bruse,
will generally sell for from two to five cents
II pound more than one that lacks either of
these recommendations. The plan practiced
in New England, and one that generally Sc
cures prompt sale in Eastern cities mt con-
siderable advance over the prices that are
obtained in the markets of New York, is sub
stantially as follows:
Never feed the morning of the day on
which the turkeys are to be killed and mt an
early hour drive them into some easily Access
sible stable. Gather your neighbors in the
proportion of one man to about fifteen birds,
if your flock is large. Provide two half
hogshead tubs for the feathers, or one, rs you
may need, and having set it under some shell
ter, place row of chairs or stools in circle
round it. Now darken the doors of your
stable, and quietly seize a bird, holding it so
that, in its struggles to free itself from your
grasp, it shall not hit its body or wings
against any solid substance. Then with
your left hand take fast hold of the legs and
wings, drawing the latter backward, and plac-
ing the neck ofthe bird across round stick,
sever the head from the body with sharp
axe held in the right hand; then hold the
bird at an angle from you, or, what is as WELL
press it firmly against the even ground, breast
downward, so that there will be no POSSIBLE
ity of its bruising itself while struggling.
As soon as the birds struggles are ended,
seize and pull out first the tail and larger
wing feathers, up to the third wing, joint,
counting from the body outward then hold
ing the bird on your knees, never allowing it
to touch the tub, carefully and quickly take
out the smaller feathers, being specially par
ticular not to tear the skin, and always keep
ing IN mind that the least designation will
injure the sale. When it is nearly picked,
consign the bird to some less muscular per-
son to take out the pin feathers. This can
be easiest done with the point ola sharp pen
knife, pressing against the thumb with the
feather between. In no case should the
body be laid aside till every thing is removed
that would offend the eye.
After the bird is cooled, lay it ON "A board
covered with several thicknesses of wooden
cloth, and while it is held on its back by an
attendant, cut with sharp penknife circle
about the size Of a twO-cent piece around the
vent, through which aperture remove careful
lyand completely the entrails, keeping all the
fat attached to them in the body with the
fingers of one hand, while the drawing is
performed with the other. Then cut off the
wings, if you have not done it before, at the
third joint, wipe the neck thoroughly. leaving
not particle of dirt or stain of blood; lay
the turkey on its back in cool place; the
next morning, draw the skin over the bone
Of the neck, and tie it firmly with a common
cotton string, and your bird is ready for SALE
and if well fattened, will bring the best
price.
When they are packed for market, they are
laid breast down in clean boxes (shoe boxes
are best,) the cover firmly nailed, the box
marked with the gross weight, tare and net,
with the shippers name on one end and the
consignee's in bold characters near the mid
die, and if they are cold when put into the
box and kept in cool place afterward, they
will be as salable at the end of three weeks as
they are on the day after their first packing.
= -Henrth and Ho,oe