The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12
THANKSGIVING POULTRY.
TENS or THOUSANDS or BIRDS con-
INg 10 NEW YORK ALREADY.


The Best Qualities Supplied by the Neigh
| boring Region; tho Cheaper Furnished
| by tho wrI-speculation In Poultry by
| Country Nh"lesal" Buyers
| 1T might strike you rushing the season,
began the wholesale poultry dealer, but already
turkeys geese chickens and ducks designed 70
grace the festival board ON thanksgiving Day
are arriving by the tens Of uhousands in New York y
where do the birds come from principally 2
asked the reporter
Much of the poultry handled here" was tho
reply, comes from up the State. New Jersey, New
England and the Western States After the eggs
are Matched out in the spring at which time worms,
insects, sprouing vegetation and other dcleclable
food are abundant The young chickens thrive
without much attention.. and continue 10 thrive
with an ordinary amount Of protection from in
clement weather through the summer until early
fall, when the natural food on the earth becomes
less Then careful feeding Is required and tho
real care begins in preparing them for the holiday
trade /, il more trouble 10 raise turkeys for the
metropolitan market. which il the most cAacting
In the country, 80 am informed by dealers from
other paris Turkeys nrc natural. born uomps,
and are pt ~ stray. no matter how carefully they
are watched They will walk or run many hours
over the roads. gardens aud fields In search Of
appeti2ing worms and Erubs. particularly grass
huppcrs for which they have an uncunqucrhble
passion. II the season is a long Que IL is neces-
sAfy to cOnfne the turkeys IL n small area and
watch them closely otherwise they will run until
they are thin ~ razor back hogs ard tougher
than leather Besides, in following this DISPOSE
ton to roam the birds frequently succumb to cx.
ppsure while many Of the young ones lose them
selves, and Iorish in tail grass and swampy tracts.
as they follow the older turkeys about in search
Of food"
which ore the bcst.selling turkeys ?"
Young ones Matched In April or May, and fat
tened with care and skill during October and early
November. bring the best prices in the Thanks
giving market and command the rcadicst sale.
Birds Of this description usually have firm, white
flesh. which II characterized by tenderness and
extreme too,hsomencss From ten to thirteen or
fourteen pounds is the proper weight for such
turkeys Youngsters weighing triHe more
often fnd ready sale in New York. bu, the trenen.
dous old g"bblcr weighing anywhere from eight
cen To twenty Eve pounds, a size much approved
in New England. is no, sold readily. There In
some prejudice against big birds in this market
for unless extra care and skill brought To bear
in the cooking they nre very likely 10 appear on
the carving table tough and tas;cess"
And the chickens ,"
well, al the present moment--and l 20
specify. for nothing Ii 10 variable az the demand
Tor certain products-tho Shapghais and the
Plymouth Rocks are the most marketable chickens
Both varieties grow rapidly and are readily fat
tened Moreover. they not more than ordinar
lily susceptible to climatic changes Most Of those
who raise Shanghais or Plymouth Rocks for mar
kci hatch the Young chickens along about Easter.
aud in order that all may NO, be ready at one time
others are so from time 10 time until Juno Few
chickens haichoi later than this will mature
suihricnuy before cold weather sets in Over
IN Jersey and in Long Island. where more than
ordinary attention ~ paid IN the fhisi ng OF tho
birds, some farmers make a specially of raising
bruers Chickens so designated are watched
and tended as carefully as the towheads Abput
uie place all the year round This branch Of the
chicken industry, neCessiatcs the expenditure
Of much Time, aud Is a far more di nicuit busncss
than the ordinary farmer desires to burden himself
viii
Il here are two distinct Kinds Of poultry brought
70 tbs mnrk-, First the excellent, dry picked
second BIRDS packed IN ice whic' arrive in great
quantities from the Western States In nearly
every part Of the East the birds arc
in boxes or barrels with straw The bulk of this
stock is sen, by individual farmers to some onm-
mission nru Few farmers send on an average
more than 900 pounds al ono time. while the
majority send 100 or 200 pounds At this season
lhetc Is ALWAYS great deal Of speculation IN
merchants in villages AMI towns near chick en-.
raising districts one Of them will buy up the
sign the birds In lots ranging from 600 TO 300
pounds to some wholesale firm Of poul,erers In
New ! Ofh Much 81 THIS sort OF specializing
is done in New Jersey. and some men reap small
fortunes annually In INSTANCES. the Spectator
contracts months ahead with farmer f"r his total
output paying lin part VI tho money down,
p ,S,ibly nj a tim, when .'aIv cas-" is m,st
needed, thus securing hands me bargain Every
v ill make the rounds Of nearby farms and buy up
the chickens ducks, geese and turkeys hut the
bulk OF the poultry from adjacent States comes 10
New York in small consignmcnis aud Represents
part ui The industry OF tho hard worked women on
ths small farms IN the New England and the
a Anft Hfh hiFHg ll.N h.ZN
Ia be- had and command higher prices than birds
prepared With less care aud sent from longer dis
tances ] cy reach our dealers by express or
faS, freight. and their keeping qualities In cold
weather are excellent
out West things are run on slightly different
plan. As IN thc Fast, the bulk Of the poultry
Is raised On small farms bu, In the foil and early
y inter months the poultry Luvrra drive around
the country and purchase the live STOCK at usually
from four 10 six cents pound 7 he buveT shuts
hiS bits up in c"opS and cn'ts them oH To his
killing house. where ,hrv meet the inevitable
end Thcv are then plunged into boiling lot
water, Their feathers are stripped Of, aud after
they have become thoroughly coolei they, are
refrigerator cars and forwarded Ia the large cities
! sunlly, they are consigned to commission houses.
season for buving poultry is a short one. 1t he
gins In late October and continues until the very
in the West arc simply impnssabls Tor weeks
Il. 10, The los. on Western poultry in transit.
NO. 4 is only when the birds 50 shipped
arc not allowed 10 cool thoroughly before being
packed that they spoil on the way, and this scI.
dom happens A grea, deal If the poultry from
the West is frozen after II reaches New York.
AMI is kent Throughout, the wint"r. and sometimes
INT" the summer months, being removed from
the trcrycrs as II In required, The leo is never
permitted to touch the flesh and the acked bar.
rcls and boxes are removed from tho refrigrra-
tor cars the moment they arrive and placed in
the cold storage houses where they are rapidly
frozen 10 state Of snliditv, and in this way they
ar preserved almost indefinitely. When wanted
for use the birds are easily thawcd out 7 here
is another sort which is known to the trade
ns icrd poultry. 7 his is far different for the
hrda are packed in ice in the barrels FiIsl a
layer of poultry Is nut in then laver ~ Ice This
method is princpa'iv employed when the birds
are shipped from the Wcs, during lhe summer
months and the refrigerator cars do not gen.
crate sufficient cooness to keen The poultry sweet
Tor long Journey across the country Its dclcter.
ous effect on the stock consists In causing the
flesh IN become too moist and the skin to change
rolor as the Ice mel's Nerv often birds so shipped
have soaked annenrnnce, AMI direct contact
with the ice impai-S the 'hst more or less
"'rhis Western poultry irs'rcss is conducted
m an Immense scale" continued the dprlrr. inn
prrsSv"ly, "and there nrc mnny g,rst firms with
I0rtunrs back ~ them emerged in H. GU, in
kansas there IL one firm which ships every fall
mi winter hundreds 81 carloads Of chickens
llply tnrl aNr nd Ma. ".