The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-12-21
Pre-. aring Poultry for Market.

Food in the crop Injuries the appear
ance, is liable to sour, and purchasers
object TO paying for this worse than
useless weight; therefore, keep from
food twenty-fOur hours before killing.
Opening the veins fthe neck or bleed
ing in the mouth is the best mode of
killing. If the head be taken off at
first, the skin will recedc from the
meck-bone, presenting repulsive fea-
ture. Most of the poultry sold here
has the head left on, and this is the best
when the process of killing has not in
jurcd the appearance of the head.
When it is preferred to remove the
head, it should be taken off at the
throat, the skin peeled back little and
portion of the neck-bone removed,
the skin then drawn over the end and
tied and trimmed neatly. The intes-
tines or the crop should be drawn.
For scalding poultry, the water
should be as near to the boiling point
as possible, without actually boiling
the bird, being held by the legs, should
be immersed and lifted up and down ia
the water three times-this makes pick
ing easy. Tho feathers should then be
at once removed, pn-fcathers and all,
very clearly, and without breaking the
skin. 1t should next be pumped" by
being dipped about two seconds into
water nearly or quite boiling hot, and
thon at once into cold water about the
same length of time. Most of the
dressed poultry sold here is wet-picked,
and such is generally preferred: but
very fat, handsome turkeys, dry-picked,
sell well at Thanksgiving and Christ
mas. Great care should be taken to
avoid cutting Or bruising the flesh or
breaking the bones. 1t should be ell
lirely cold, but not frozen before being
packed. This is matter of impor-
lance; for, if packed with the animal
heat in, it will be almost sure to spoil.
If it reaches market sound without
freezing, it will sell all the better.
In packing, when practicable, use
hand-threshed dry straw; be sure thai
1t is clean; free from dust of any kind,
and entirely dry. Place layer OF
straw at the bottom, then alternate
layers of poultry and straw, taking
care to stow snugly, backs upwards.
legs under the body, filling vacancies
with straw, filling the package so thai
the cover will draw down very shugll
upon the contents, to prevent shifting
or shucking OH the way. Boxes are the
best packages, and should contain from
one hundred and fifty to three hundred
pounds. Larger boxes are inconvell-
lent, and more apt to yet injured. The
objection to barrels is that the fowls are
apt TO be much bent and twisted out Oi
shape; they answer better for chickens
and ducks than for turkeys and geese
Straw should be between the poultry
and sides of package to keep from
freezing, though in very cold weather
this cannot always be avoided. H.
packing large lots it is best to put the
different kinds in separate packages.
and mark the kind Oh the cover. Our
best markets for poultry are Thanks.
giving GENERALLY tho last Thursday in
Novenber). Christmas and New Years
Turkeys sell well Oh either of thes,
occasions, but best at Thanksgiving
Geese sell best at Christmas, and chick.
ems at New Years. Care should be Ia.
ken that lots shipped for these specia
occasions should arrive in sufficient
time before the event to meet the best
sale. The poultry that arrives too late
always meets poor market.-[W Whit
ley aud Morris Circular.