Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1873-01-23
Dressing and Marketing Turkeys.

THOUSANDS of dollars are wasted by
turkey raisers each year for lack of sys-
tenn and carefulness in dressing their
fowls. A bird picked clean, and without
bruise, will generally sell for from two
to five cents pound more than one that
lacks either of these recommendations.
The plan practiced in New England, and
one that generally secures prompt sale
in Eastern cities at considerable advance
over the prices that are 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. Gatheryour neighbors
in the proportion of one man to about
fifteen birds, if your flock is large. Pro-
vide two half-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 a circle round
it. Now darken tine doors of your stable,
and quietly seize the 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 back
ward, and placing the neck Of the bird
across q round stick, sever the head from
the body with sharp axe held In the
right hand; then bold the bird at an angle
from you, or, what is as well, press it
firmly against the even ground, breast
downward, SO that there win be no pos
sibility of its bruising itself while strug-
Cling. ss
AS soon as the birds struggles are end
ed, seize and pull out first the tail and
larger wing feathers, up to the third
wing joint, counting from the body out
knees, never allowing it to touch the tub,
carefully and quickly take but the smaller
feathers, being specially particular not
to tear the skin, and always keeping in
mind that the least designation will in
jure the sale. When it is nearly picked
consign 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 feathers between. In no
case should the body be laid aside till
everything is removed that would offend
the eye.
After the bird is cooled, lay it on a
board covered with several thIcknesses of
woolen cloth, and while it is held on its
back by an attendant, cut with a sharp
pSHhulIe q ClTCic dOOuL Lnc slZe Vi tWO-
cent piece around the vent, through
which aperture remove carefully and
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 middle, and If they
are cold when put into the box, and kept
in cool place afterward, they will be as
salabie at the end of three weeks as they
areon the day after their packing .-Rearh
and Home.