Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-10-31

9 tho heavy losses Of last years disas. G
. rous seasoni Follow this govern. q
O mental advice. q
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lHE fact that It will soon be one
year since the calamitous dressed
poultry season of 1913 wrecked
many handlers Of poultry, sent tens Of
thousands of pounds OF chickens, tur-
Keys, ducks and geese to the crema-
tory, and left the consumer with such
a strong aversion to the taste of the
poultry that reached the market in
off" condition that sales have suf-
fered ever since, is being used as the
text OF the sermon which experts in
poultry handling in the United States
Department of Agriculture are
preaching to poultry shippers all over
the country.
Shippers agree that the spollage Of
dressed poultry during the autumn of
1913 was unparalleled, and that the
rest Of the year has been, financially,
one Of the worst on record deslpte the
scarcity Of meat. Specialists in the
Department consider that the blame
rests chiefly upon the man who
killed, picked, chilled and packed the
poultry and sent It to market. This
man bought the birds alive, hence
they were not decayed when he got
them. The railroads, In general, have
worked diligently at their refrigera-
tor lines and It Is well known that
shippers who packed their goods
properly found the railroad service
last autumn sufficiently satisfactory
to deliver the product in good order.
The receivers Of poultry were hunt
Ing for stock that could be sold to q
= high class trade--but the inspector
did not have to look far for poultry
that was absolutely unfit for food.
The Department accompanies Its
words OF warning with words OF ad-
vice to tho poultry dressers, telling
them how to handle the birds to en-
sure high quality and minimum
change In composition.
Cooping.
First; The packer, as soon az the
birds are received, should transfer
them to "holdlng batteries" which
are really coops 80 contracted that
only q few birds are In the same com
partment All have an equal chance
to got food, each has an abundance of
fresh air and absolute cleanliness ia
easily maintained.
Feeding.
Second; For "a hours before kill
ing the bird Ia not fed but Ia given
plenty OF clean water In this way
the crop is emptied and the flavor OF
tho flosh Is improved, as well aa lts
keeping quality or course, the bird
does not weigh Rs much when emp-
tied Of food but it Ia better 10 be
paid for q few less pounds OF poultry
than to receive only q freight bill.
Killing.
Third Killing should bo done BY
cutting the veins Of tho neck from
inside the mouth while the bird ls
suspended by tho feet Circular 81
OF the Bureau Of Chemistry, gives
tho details Of how to bleed and TO
"braln"--that Ia 10 loosen the feath.
or muscles so that the birds may be
dry picked, not Boaldod scalded
birds have their keeping quality
greatly reduced.
Removing Feathers.
Fourth, Holding tho bird while
removing the feathers is best accom-
plished by the frame" method, Tho
second best way Ia what NJ known as
tho string" method, and tho worst
methods are the "beAch" and "1ap."
Chilling.
Fifth, After the birds are bled
and picked the animal heat must be
removed, The best method Of doing
80 IL TO hang them, head downward,
In a room having n temperature be.
tween 30 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit,
whore they should remain for g4I
hours The temperature must not 10
above S5, nor below 20 degrees, and
the atmosphere cannot be depended
ouau 90 tn,,, III, ,,,lthl, tha.. tt..ti.