Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-03-14

DEALERS IN THESE ARTICLES TELL
Us SOMETHING ABOUT SHEM.
Waen Turkey. Goose or a Fish In Ft'
TO be Eaten.

A poultry dealer, to whom a reporter
applied for information IL his particular
line. said: "The oh way Of testing
fowls tenderness or toughness, by yank-
I.g / at the wing to SEQ whether the
skin directly underLeath tears or not,
doesn't amount to much, and, more
over, spolls the prepossession of the
bird for the next inyesti gator, in case
you don't want to buy. General appear
ances are better to judge by. II tur-
key, for instance, is young, the legs
viii be black and smooth, the eyes live
y aud the feet flexible. If old, the eyes
VII! be shrunken and the feet dry In
choosing hens see that their legs and
/ ,oplbs are timber, which means that
tray are young. II the legs and combs
r. rough and stiff, they are old, but
nay be good enough for pie or soup.
I voung goose will have yellow bill
and feet rtd and dry. Ducks, If young,
will be limber-footed; if fat, hard and
t"ick on the lower part Of the body
hae same rule applies to wild ducks
whoGe feet, though, are rel, besides
ling smaller than those Of tame ducks.
Game can be just IS easily selected, if
ou know how, which most folks don't.
fartridges, for instance, if young, viii
nave black bills and yellow legs; if old,
w,ite bills and blue legs. All old fowls,
/ indeed, both domesticated and wild,
0aay likewise be told by their hard,
! r,1gh, or dry feet. Hares and rabbits,
] { young, viii be white and stiff, with
-ars that viii tear like brown paper; if
old, the flesh will be dark, the body linn
Der, and the ears tough. The same con-
.-ditions may be kept n mind in the Sc
lection OF squirrels, save that the flesh
which IS always more or less dark, must
be judged by smoothness and frmness
"a indicating youncness, while the old
ones will be timber ard himsv"
''Freshness," said fish dealer with
ownsn eyes, viseacre spIt-curls, and an
oraeular manner, TO whom the reporter
next applied, freshness counts more
with fsh than with any other sort OF
food. And why? Because they're ont
Of their native element when exposed
Tor sale. That's as natural as going to
sleep; but then the desired freshness
av5nces itself u various T"ys in different
sorts Of fi7l, aad likewise the Bta!eness
which amt so much desired \ good
aa.5le cod, let ME say, VIII have very
III gills, the f,oiv THICK at the neck, the
ii white aid firm, and something oi
htness remaining II the eyes
y~4.n flbby the col amt to be han
rcd after, least Of all bought Here Is
f1e salmon. whose newness is attesteC
~ the fine relnes3 Of the flesh, and pa.
L ..>uar,y Of the EiIls. the brightness 0
ia scales, and tha stiffness Of the entire
- Sind Is grs', are white ant
n.ck; gil.s red, eyes bright, body stif
III firm. Much the same requirement
..alll be looked for in the mackerel
with extra care; for the mackcrel i
tender that he doesn't carry or keel
- sgr1, rusa'tad, - other fish. Il
choosing striped bass, il the eyes al
suuken, and tie gil,s pale, they hav
! been too long ont = the water Thei
f0euess depends upan ,heir being n
VI the fire as soon after being killed q
, possible. If Won must buy trout tia
are dead, see that the gllls are red an
hard TO open, the eyes iustEoas and til