The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1874-02-19
for the farmer.
pov,ITRY-HOw To PREPARE, KILL,
DRESS, AND MARKET

We went through Fulton Market oil EoEem-
Der 2d to purchase little extra poultry for
special occasion, and though there were turkeys
enough, We could scarcely find young tender
one looking " lit to carry home" The fault was
not in the animals themselves, for there were
young ones enough, and some of them III TAR
flesh, but they were 50 bunglingly dressed, so
torn, blood-covered, and otherwise bedaubed,
that sight of them before being Drowned in
cooking was enough to greatly diminish the
pleasure Of eating them afterwards We took
the best We could hrd, at fifteen cents per pound;
bnt for the particular occasion, and on almost
any other, We would hsve preferred to pay doub-
lie price for good looking bird. And this is
about the feeling OF every purchaser OF poultry
They will generally say feel, "give me this
small neat turkey at eighteen cents per pound,
rather than that large, sOlvenly dressed affair at
twelve CENTS" even though the larger one be fat
ter and more lender. The same is the case in re-
gard to poultry. The truth is, poultry raisers
have no idea of the dollars they lose for want OF
a few pence worth of time in dressing the ant
mails well, and sending them to market M good
condition. Last year, with the assistance OF.
skillfnl dealers, We prepared and published some
concise directions on this topic, which, from the
importance of the subject, We will repeat IN sub
stance.
PREPARIyG.-Make them fat. A grain-fed,
plump, fat fowl will sell for double the price per
pound of lean one. liberal feeding for a few
weeks before killing, will nearly double the
weight and double the price, making quadruple
return for the finishing off food.
KILLISG.-Keep them from bruising them
selves. Secure the wings the instant they
caught and tie them behind the back. Tie the
legs together hang them upon pole, and then
cut off the head with sharp knife, leaving as
long a neck as possible. Let them hang until
they bleed clean. Keep them from food for two
three hours before killing. ANY grain left in
the crop sours and materially injnrcs the flesh,
if kept long before cooking.
DREssING.-Pick them dry. taking particular
care not to tear OF bruise the flesh Ifscalded at
ALL let it be done quickly and in water not quite
boiling hot. Be careful not to rub off the outer
thin skin from the legs. II not to be packed in
boxes, after picking dry and scalding, wash them
IN clean warm sOap-suds, and "plump" them, that
is, hold them in boiling wafer about five seconds
If TO be packed for carrying a long distance, do
not wet them at all, except to wash the neck.
Strip back the skin on the neck cut off the neck
bone, draw the loose skin over, tie it tightly
cut off the bloody portion little way above the
string, and wash off any blood, wiping il dry
This will keep them clean and blnodless, and in
crease their saleabencss.
MARKETING.-Let them hang until entirely
cold, and then pack in rye straw if it be obtain
able, putting them into boxes holding not over
two hundred pounds. The packing straw should
be bright and clean, and it will be greatly i'm
proved by drying il in warm oven before nsing
Put straw between the carcasses, and around the
sides of the bnX-enOugh TO act as a Surfing to
prevent bruising. and pack straw under the COW
er. A little care of this kind described above
will greatly increase the market value. Most
persons keep back all their poultry until Christ
mas or New Year day. This is not always the
hest policy, We have noticed for several wears
that poultry is scarcest and highest here for
few weeks before the holidays As soon rs set
tied cold weather arrives, poultry, if dressed and
packed as above in tight boxes, may be sent
from the most Western States to this market
Contract for the through expenses, and send to
some reliable commission dealer, who will take
the packages in charge on their arrival, and dis
pose of them at once, aud return the proceeds,
less small sum for the trOuble-usually about
five per cent. of the price obtained. Another
hint. Always send with yOnr packages a care
full invoice, or statement of just what you for
warded, and you, wishes in regard to it-togeth-
er with your name and address. We make this
suggestion because dealer here informed us
bnt yesterday that more than half the packages
came to him without any invoice OF other infor-
nation as to whom they came from, or the kind
ana amount, and the wishes of the seller in re-
gard to them-this being usually left for LET
ter, which frequently arrives after the poultry is
sold, or should have been Poultry should also
arrive two or three days before special holidays,
instead of day after. This often makes diffe-
renee of ten to twenty per cent. in the proceeds
American AuricuItMist.