The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-11-21
Poultry for tie Market,

A little extra care and attention In
preparing poultry for market will be-
we'll repaid, in the end. It is quite
essential that the birds should reach
their desl iaa.ion with IL good appear
ance and IN good condition, if fair
prices are expected; hence it Is for the
shippers interest TO take every pre-
caution to have these two requirements
fulfilled.
The practice of stuff g" the fowls
with cooked meal OF anything. else in
fact, for day or 50 preceding their
shipment, is unwise. If the food is not
well diges,ed before the fowls are
killed, Fermentation and putrefaction
take place, and the result is that
greenish, putrid look is given the
dressed fowl, and it becomes unfit for
the table. 1T is not II good plan 10 let
fowls run at large just before they are
marketed, us the uuwho. esome food
they are liable to pick up may taint the
flesh, unless it has time to become
thoroughly aigested and assimilated.
Moreover. they SHOULD have no food
whatever for ten or twelve hours before
killing.
e Much depends on the manner of kill
ing fowls TO have them marketable.
The best method undoubtedly is to
make an incision we'll back in the root
of the mouth with sharp-pointed
knife, and divide thesvertebrm or touch
the brain This causes instant death.
The head and legs should be left on
and entrails not be drawn. II the legs
and ncGks of turkeys and chickens are
dry-picled iInm8 lately after killing,
they are not SO apt to become dIseolor-'
ed when exposed to the air. Very fat
poultry NAV b. dry-pickel to. advant-
age, as it sells q little higher and will
carry a littl1 better from distant points,
but it does not improve the appearance
of somewhat lean fowls.
In scalding, the water should be boil
ing-hot. and all pia-feathers should be
carefully removed without breaking the
skin. II ducks and geese, after scali-
ing, are wrapped in Il cloth for couple
of minutes, the down will then come off
easily with the feathers. Pumping"
as it is called, is accomplished by Dip
ping the fowl, after picking. in boiling
hot w:lter for about two minutes, then
placing it in cold water for ten or
twelve minutes more. This gives q
much brighter and fairer appearance
to the flesh.
As to packing for shipment, boxes
holding about 200 pounds are the best
for turkeys aud geese land, III fact, for
all poultry, though snatser .sgame'
may be shipped in barTels. In the bot
tom of the box or barrel put a layer OF
clean, dry straw, then alternate with
poultry and straw until the package is
SO full that the eeverawilI keep the con-
tents from moving about. thus lessenIng
the-risk of bruising. Pack with the
backs up. legs outstsetched andthe head
bent under. @
Now, a word concerning the marking
of the package. sit a terrible both
err said a commission merchant in our
hearing the other dav, mot TO have
packages properly marked and advised
We received lot of pears recently
without the consignor's name or ad-
dress, and. some time afterward, q
nostssl card Informed rs that suci lot
had been sent. But 8 good sale was
lost Every shipper, Il he does much
5 N that line, should have brand or
{ ',oarl, Of hisown, so as to establish q
reputation for his goods, and this brand