The Opelousas courier., 1890-03-01
SHIPPING DRESSED POULTRY.

SHIPPING DRESSED POULTRY.
First see that all poultry is well fat
tened, as there is a great difference be-
tween the price of fat and that of poor
poultry, and, in a fully stocked market,
good poultry, well fattened aud we'll
dressed, will always command ready sale
and good prices, while poor, badly
dressed, is slow of sale at low prices.
Therefore there is not only gain in
weight by having poultry properly
dressed, but also in price. Corn is the
best for finishing off poultry, as it gives
a frmer flesh and yellower color than
buckwheat and other grains. Feed moth
ing from twelve to twenty-four hours
before killing, so that the crops will be
perfectly empty.
In killing, use a sharp, narrow bladed
knife, inserting it in the mouth as far
back as the ear, and cutting the vein.
Then hang it up by the legs, until thor
oughly bled. The water for scalding
should be at boiling point. Take the
fowl by the legs and head, dip it in the
water two or three times, letting the hot
water through the feathers to the skin.
Then strip off the feathers clean, pin
Feathers and all. If the heads are dipped
in the water the scalding will make them
look stale and shrunken. After
thoroughly picking, dip in. clean
scalding water, then plunge in clean cold
water, letting it remain about ten min
utes. Take it out and hang up in a
cool, dry place, in a current of air, but
do not let it freeze. Do not draw it, or
take the intestines out. Leave the head
and legs on, and use great care in dress
ing not to rub or tear the skin, bruise
the flesh, or break the bones. The above
hints are for scalded poultry, which is in
most demand.
For dry picking, kill by bleeding in
the mouth, and Immediately strip the
feathers off clean while the fowl is
warm, using great care not to tear or
bruise the flesh. Then hang up by the
legs to cool off, the same as for scalded
fowls. Some persons also do what is
called half-scalding, which is, after dry
picking clearly, to dip in scalding water,
then in cold. Turkeys, ducks and geese
go through the same process In dressing
as fowls, both scalding and ory-picking.
Some persons, after the ducks and geese
are picked, to more thoroughly free them
from pin feathers rub them over with
powdered rosin; dip In scalding water
and rub off the rosin and pin feasnefs;
then wash thoroughly with warm water
and brush with soap; then rinse with
coldswater and hang up until cold and
thoroughly dried.-Americ0n Agrieukmr-
sst.
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.
The importance of a good vegetable
garden to the farmers family can hardly
be over estimated. And yet, the ordi-
nary farmer seems inclined to ignore its
benefits anR suffers tito become a burden
70 him instead of a pleasure, as it would
be considered, il properly appreciated.
He sees the profit in wheat and corn, be-
cause he sells the product Of these ce-
reals, and the money he gets for them is
something tangible. But the products
Of the garden are not sold, therefore he
sees no money coming in from it, and he
gets into the habit Of thinking that time
and labor givento it are about the same
IS thrown away or wasted. And, too, q
garden to a man who spends the most OF
his time in great fields Of corn and wheat
md hay during the spring and summer,
seems d very little, cireumscribed affair
something hardly worth abothering''
with-too insignificant to be given much
attention, In fact. Consequently the
vegetable garden Is pretty sur to be neg
lected by the head of the family, unless
The ssheada happensto bea woman. y
most farmers, wives had the requisite
amount Of time and strength. to attend to
the garden as It oughtte be attended to,
says Eben 3. Rexford, In VscE's Hogdsiae,
Z know very well thatWe would sea fewer
pssches Of weeds digniied By the name
Ut garden, from which a few inferior
vegetables are taken during the season.
Is housekeeper appreciates the adyan.
tages Of a well stocked garden to draw
from as secession requires. The linen
folks appreciate the vegetables which
the woman Of the family sets before them
II meal time, but the despised garden
falls to get the credit it deserves, for eli
that. Many men seem 10 think that veg
tables arc, or ought to be, spontaneous
products. There ought to be plenty q
them without man being obliged TO Ga
anything to secure them. A garden
ought to plant and take care Of itself.
But il 80 happens that gardens ARE not
nade ii that way, and the man who y
rot willing to give proper attention to
garden cannot expect to have one that Y
worthy the name. Hs who soWeth me-
sball hot reap IS araay 9
when It WAS first said
s hefarmgr was eaIEed s9 - ~
sxstables used il His Alroughth