Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-11-30
THE POULTRY TRADE.
How to Prepare. Pack and ship

How to Prepare, Pack and ship.
The following advice to shippers Of
poultry we take from circular letter
recently issued by Messrs. L. & ..
Ward, Of New YORK.
Food in the crop iujnres the ap-
pearance, is liable 10 sour, and pur-
chascrs object 10 paying for this worse
than useless weight: therefore. keep
iron. food twenty-loGr hours before
killing Opening the veins Of the
neck aud bleeding in the mouth are
the best modes of killing II tie
heal be taken off at FIRST, the skin
viii reccede from the neck~bone,
presenting a fepulsiye feature. Most
Of the poultry sold here has the head
left on, and this is best when the pros
cess of killing has not injured the ap
pearauce OF the head. When it Is
preferred 10 rcmgyr the head IT should
be taken on al The throat, he skin
peeled back little, and a portion o.
thcueck bone removed, the skin then
drawn ever the end and tied and trim
med neatly. Tnc intestiues or the
crop should not be "drawn' For
scalding poultry, The water should 10
as near 20 the boiling point as posi-
bic. githout actually boIIing,' the
bird. being held by tie legs, should
be immersed and lifted up and down
in the water three times-this makes
picking easy. The feathers should
then he at once removed, pin fcath>
erS aud ali. very clearly. and without
breaking the skin. It should next be
'plumpcd,' by being dipped about
two seconds into water nearly or quite
boiling hot, aud then at once into
cold water about the same length Of
time.
MOST OF THE DRESSED POULTRY.
sold here is wet picked; or .'scald>
Cd ;" and the usual quality sells best
so. BIT some buyers prefer chickens
and turkeys "drypicked," and when
very fat and handsome such will gems
orally bring little higher price
Poultry looks much Ieaner when dry
picked than when scaIded; this is the
reason that only very fat stock should
be dry-pickcd. Ducks and geese are
generally preferred scalded. GREAT
care should be taken to avoid cutting
or bruising the flesh or breaking the
bones, 1t should be entirely cold,
but not frozen, before beng packed,
If packed with the animal heat in, it
will be almost sure to spoil.
Unfrozen poultry sells best : slight
freezing does not injurc the sale great
ly, but hard freezing, especially when
it produces disco!oration, reduces the
value 25a75 per cent In packing.
when practicable, use hand threshcd,
dry straw; be sure that it is clean, free
from dust of any kind, and entirely
dry. Place q layer OF straw at the
bottom, then alternate with LAYERS of
poultry and straw, taGing care t.
stow snugiy, backs upward. legs out
straight, AMI filling the package SO
that the cover will draw dOHn very
snugly upon the contents, to prevent
shifting or shocking on the way -
Boxes are the best packages, and
should contain from, say 100 to 200
pounds. Large boxes are iaconyeni,
ent and more apt to get injured.
THE OBJECTION TO BARRELS
is that poultry is apt to be bent and
twisted out of shape; they answer
better for chickens and ducks than
for turkeys and geese. Plenty OF
straw should be used between the
poultry and the sides, top and bot
tom Of package, to keep from frees
Ing-though liz very cold weather this /
cannot always be avoided. Poultry
frozen during the winter as means |
of preserving it for late spring use |
should be packed without straw. IL
packing large lots it is best to put /.
the different kinds in separate pack
ages, and n,urE the Ejad on the COrer. |
Our best markets for poultry are
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New /
Years. Aiicr the holidays small
turkeys sell much better than large .
ones. Geese sell best at Christmas,
and chickens at New Years Care
should be .akeu that lots shipped for
these special occasions should arrive
in sufficient time before the eveat to
meet the best sale. The poultry
that arrives too late often meets
poor market.