Evening journal., 1902-11-14
TO KILL POULTRY
FOR MARKET
Best Methods OF Preparing
Them Before Leaving
Home

Farmers seldom have any difficulty
in killing their birds painlessly. but
amateurs sometimes find the opera
ton a difficult matter. It should be
performed humanely and mercifully
though an ignorant operator may un-
Intentionally be guilty of crualty. An
attempt to wiring the neck has been
known to end in the head Of the bird
being twisted round and round, the re-
suit being that it comes to life again.
Wringing the neck is one Of the most
painless ways of killing a fowl. and
with care this should not be difficult.
The fowl must be held firmly by the
legs with the left hand, while the head
IS grasped with the right hand with
! the thumb and fingers round the
throat. The bird is then placed across
the knees, breast downward, with the
neck held over the right knee. The
NECK is then quickly and firmly extend
ed and the head bent back suddenly
with some force. By this means the
neck should be dislocated just below
the junction with the head. Another
humane way of killing is to hold the
fowl by the legs with the head hang
ing down and strike sharp blow with
a thick stick across the back of the
head. A simple and effectual method
is to hold the fowl firmly by the neck
with the hand and swing the bird
/, round, holding the neck tightly, when
the weight of the fowl breaks the neck
Chickens intended FOR market should
not be offered for sale in a rough and
unprepared state or they will not re-
, alize the best prices. AIN the details
? OF killing, plucking and shaping must
, be carefully attended to. The birds
i, ought to be kept without food for al
least eighteen hours before killing tC
q empty the crop, otherwise the undi
gested food may sour and taint tn,
carcass. Pluck the birds while still
: warm. The feathers are then nor,
a easily pulled out and there is less risl
of tearing the skin.
In some sections it is customary Il
leave the feathers on the wings. tn,
shaping also varies somewhat accord
ing to the locality. AS a rule pick
= Ing is started by pulling out the feath
ers in the wings. Then the fowl Il
placed on the breast and the feather
removed, beginning at the stern an,
= working to the neck. The bird is mex
I turned on its back, the legs and tai
feathers are plucked, and then tn
, breast to the middle of the throat
Ducks are usually killed by thrustin,
a knife through the roof of the moutl
into the brain. A usual mode of kill
ing geese is to strike them a blow a
8 the back of the neck and rum a shar
pointed knife into the hollow at tn
r junction of the head and neck. Turkey
are killed by thrusting a knife throug
the roof, the wings being crossed I
k prevent struggling. Fowls must b
. bled also when killed.
Look After the Herbs
e One of the things we should loo
d after at this time, is the winter her
e garden. That green herbs are muc
1t better for seasoning than dry ones
q a well-lonown fact. A good many pee
d pie like mint with their spring laml
" Sometimes mint for this purpose
s. grown in pots. We have q little pate
N of mint in an out-of-the-way spC
where it grows without restrictio
and is plucl1ed as needed. A few sprie
n may be taken up and planted in a goo
sized pot or a small box to be set in tn
ie kitchen window during the winter.
= should be frequently plucked. The DO
Il should also contain a few parsle
7. plants, or a little mustard garden an
+ water cress. etc. The latter may /
Is grown from seed sown from time {
y time. It is a good PLAN to have a bo
A the whole width of the window. (
course, a greenhouse is a still bette
place for growing such things. Who
ever is fortunate enough to have greer
8. house facilities should not neglect I
plant herbs at this time. Parsley e
N lpecially is greatly wanted during III
winter. Crosses, quickly grown, are
good substitute for parsley as garnisl
ing material
~ In the LEGAL Market
- The local market is well stocked wit
~ vegetables and the prices they al
=. bringing are considered fair by Il
;, commission merchants.
- The quality of cabbage is very goo
- this season and the price ranges fro
fifty to sixty cents per barrel. Viii
there are plenty of both sweet al
q white potatoes in now. it is predict,
they will be scarce later in the seasC
=. and that the price win advance
4 present they are bringing about fort
"a five cents per basket on an average, an