Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-02-05

meuti or pertinent inquiries-Will always be vel
coined to this department Of the wArcHSAS.
Dressing aud Marketing TURKEYS.
Thousands Of dollars are wasted by tur.
key raisors each year for lack Of system
aud carefuuess 10 dressing their fowls. A
bird picked clean, and without a bruse,
will generally sell for from two to five cents
a pound more than one that lacks either OF
these recommendations. The plan prac.
ticed in New England, aud one that gen.
orally secures prompt sale in Eastern
cities at considerable advance over the
prices that arc obtained in the markets Of
New York, is substantially as follows:
Never feed the morning Of the day on
which the turkeys are TO be killed, and at
an early hour drive them into some easily
accessible stable. Gather your neighbors
the proportion Of one man to about fifteen
birds, if your flock is large. Provide two
hall.hogshead tubs for the feathers, or one,
as you may need, and having set it under
some shelter, place a row Of chairs or stools
in circle round IT, Now darken the
doors Of your stable, aud then quietly
seize the bird, holding it so that, in
its struggles to free itself from your
grasp, it shall not bit its body OF wings
against any solid substance. Then with
your left hand take fast hold Of the legs
and wings, drawing the latter backward.
aud placing the neck of the bird across a
round stick, sever the head from the body
with a 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 possibility Of its bruising
itself while struggling.
As soon as the birds struggles arc end.
ed, seize and pull out first the tail aud larger
wing feathers, up to the third wing joint,
counting from the body outward-then,
holding the bird on your knees, never al
lowing it to touch the tub, carefully and
quickly take out the smaller feathers, being
specially particular not to tear the skin,
and always keeping in mind that the least
designation will injure the sale When
It is nearly picked, consigu the bird to some
less muscular person to take out the pin
feathers. This can be easiest done with
the point of sharp penknife, pressing
against the thumb with the feather between
Ia no case should the body be laid aside
till everything is removed that would Of
TEND 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
a circle about the size of two.cent piece
around the vent, through which aperture
remove carefully and completely the en-
trails 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 of the wings, if you have
not done it before, at the third joint, wipe !
the neck thoroughly, leaving not particle
of dirt CT stain Of blood lay the turkey
on Its back in cool place the next morn
ing, draw the skin over the bone Of the
neck, and tie it firmly with a common cot |
ton string, aud your bird is ready for sale,
and if well iattened, will bring the best
price.
When they are packed for market, they
are laid breast down in clean boxes (shoe
boxes are besD 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 middle, and if they are cold wheu
put into the box, and kept in cool place at.
terward, they will be as salable at the end
OF three weeks as they are on the day after
their first packing Hearth nnd Home