Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-09
PREPARING POULTRY
FOR HOLIDAY MARKET
Study Requirements and Give Pub
lie What II Wants, 1t
Is Advised.
FINE PRICE FOR PRODUCTS
Always Big Demand for Goods of
Superior Quality, Put Up Attrac-
tively-Situation Should BE Stud
led Carefully.
ny G.. Il. SMITH.
Author aud Practical POuItrymnn.

The markets must be closely studied.
Raising chickens is an easy job. Ii is
high class business to land them in the
markets at the right time, in the right
form and 10 the best advantage. This
problem is becoming more perplcXing
under the stress Of high prices and the
alarming scarcity of all kinds of meat
foods.
Present conditions are hammerinE
the heart out of poultry raisers.
forward look, however Will prove that
there never were brighter prospects
for the business
Make the mos; Of the holidays.
They should he considered in Matching.
brooding. feeding. finishing and mar
ketlnE.
other businesses give the seasons
serious consideration. Why not the
pcultrymar?
purchased by tho people at Christmas
time. Try TO sell them such stuff at
any other season, and they would
laugh at you. Merchants know this
and make the most Of the psychology
ical situation. SO the Christmas din
ner is fixed institution. The Thanks
giving family feast is another Every
man feels that he mus; have turkey
at such times, even though tho "tur-
Key may DC nothing more than two
pound Wyandotte broilcr.
S.~v Seasons and FnshlOns.
It's up to the poultryman to furnish
the birds when they are wanted.
Habits and fashions swing a pow
erful commercial influence. Those who
have things TO sell are foolish not to
take full account of this fact. Mill
lions OF straw hats must go the 18th
OF September every year. The halter
who does not take advantage OF this
81 m W hat n
The reason why there are so many
failures or ncar-failurcs among COM
mercial poultrymcn is the fact that so
many of them neglect to study the
psychology OF days and seasons.
DO Personal Work.
Visit wholesale and retail markets.
Do not stop with a single interview.
Study the whole situation at first hand.
Investigate. Find out personally what
is wanted, and when it is wanted. Such
a trip will he an amazing eyc-opener
to many poultryman.
Ignorance of what the purchasing
public requires will Kill any mans
business. ASK the man in the market
If you want high lights on holiday de-
mands. Then go home and make your
preparations accordingly.
Pander to the trade requirements.
Play your own game. but never forget
that you must bring to the public what
the public demands. To ignore pop
ular demand is the height of folly.
Tho public will only return your COM
plimcnt. and sm!lingly look for tho
man who brings them what they want
Market conditions for poultry of all
kinds are peculiar. All signs point to
an immense shortage in the holiday
supply. large proportion of the ma
ture stock was sold for slaughter
months ago. because Of the astonishing
up-Shoot in all kinds OF poultry feeds;
'h.
poultry meat for sale for the Christmas
and Near Years trade had better study
the situation cNhaustivcly. lie is han
ding precious stun.
Search for Quality.
You can't fool experienced buyers.
they are after meat. They can guess
as correctly as YOU can what proper
ton Of bird is edible.
The Christmas dinner rooster cspc-
cially must he mcaty and plump to win
tho tor notch price. The best fowl Will
quickly command from three to live
times as much as the inferior birds.
Thousands Of poultry raisers do not
seem TO appreciate this point. The
many Inferior specimens hanging in
the meat markets show a strange lack
OF thought and effort towards quality.
The fowls that are marked at bot
tom prices 'Hlvc too much leg and
neck and bone. and oNal in proportion
to juicy meat. The fancy-price birds
are picked up rapidly by glad buyers,
while the inferior, and therefore,
cheapest stun, is the last TO go and
usually TO unwilling purchasers. Tho
man who brings the highest quality of
poultry TO the markets can name a
fancy price and will get it, II you
do your holiday shopping late. you
will find nothing left but the thin.
ong-shanked. long -ncckcd skinny
culls OF the culls. They are left
overs" The quality isn't there. That
is why they We're left over.
The lank, lean. skinny fowl should
not be Killed. Keep il for feeding
and fattening. You would not xiii
and take 10 market a pig that is little
more than skin and bones. You would
hrst load hundred pounds OF fat on
his carcass. The meat would be bet
ter in quality. the price would he
multiplied several hundred per cent
inc quality would be increased and Your
business reputation would hc saved
You would follow the same rrincl-
pies in marketing your beef and rnut-
ton why not exercise a like wisdom
IN the handling Of your turkeys and
fowls?
/ saw wild ducks in big city stall,
the other day AT s. q pair This Is an
other proof that what people really
otsTe incF VIII pay for AT Il high
price. Study the sensitive pala,cs O,
the epicures. You can't raise n bird
that Is too meaty and plump and juicy
for the milliondirc's Christmas or New
Years dinner. what he wants is tho
best: the price VIII I've promptly forth.
coming.
II you have high quality birds, I,
Will be worth while for YOU to Iook
W. private customers Tho pouilry1nar
who has limited quantity q. stuff! II
dispose OF Viii 10 well - consider I'M.
advantage. Evadc If possiLl. the prof.
Its OF the m!ddleman. Be your owI
m'ddleman.
Appearance Half the Hattic.
Yes, the bird that looks well is hal
sold. Talk with the fancy fruit ,n.r
CHANT abou; this. He BUYS the SIM
in the rough and in quantities. lie vii
sort it, polish it, rarnish it. displ:,v il
III beautiful cartons under fnvorabI,
light where j; VIII catch the eye Of IN,
passer-by.
This is e perfectly legitimate b,s;
ness procedure. Joultryrncn mus; Il,
the same if they expec, to win in thcj,
game.
Wet pickine--M Market poultry tina. !,
Scalded and picked wet is likelv m loo,