Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-07
IRISH POULTRY MEN
SEEK i. S. MARKET
Modern Refrigeration Puts
Foreign Birds in Com
petition Here. 49,
BY J. C. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, May THE cocks crow
in Ireland five hours before they do in
New York and eight hours before they
announce the early morning hours on
the Pacific Coast-and it would seem
that the breeders of Irish poultry are
nearly as wide awake and as far ahead
as their birds.
At least thousand cases of Irish
turkeys and chickens are arriving in
New York this week and have been sold
in advance. Neither freight rates nor
tariff duties have Sufficed to overcome
this competition to the birds of New
England, the South Atlantic States,
Texas. Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and
the Pacific Northwest.
Modern Refrigeration.
Consumers tried the Irish birds with
considerable trepidation, but their fears
were soon allayed. The birds which
have been shipped here have been re-
frigerated with the utmost skill They
have not been frozen, which, 1t is
claimed, Injuries the taste of the meat,
but are chilled just to the proper point
where danger of spelling is absent and
flavor is preserved. This is due largely
to the improved refrigeration facilities
on the British passenger boats, which
carry most of these cargoes and which
touch at Queenstown and Belfast.
After all duties and freight have been
paid, the growers of these birds have
been able to sell them at approximately
z cents a pound under the price for
American birds in this market This is
due to some extent to the way in which
the fowls are killed. The Irish fowls
are slaughtered in such a way that the
blood collects and congeals about the
neck and crop, and since this Is I'M
drained, about ~ to l " pounds is added
to the weight of each bird as it is sold.
Most Of the birds are large fowls. The
turkeys run well toward ID pounds
apiece and are being absorbed largely
by the hotel and restaurant trade, which
uses them extensively in the prepara-
ton of club and other sandwiches. It
Is said that the restaurant carvers have
found it possible to slice an unusually
large quantity of disable meat from
these birds.
Turkey Market.
Turkeys have always been considered
an American product, but other ma
lions are fast putting themselves in a
position to compete in domestic markets
with the homegrown birds Argentina
and Brazil are sending fair tonnages of
turkeys and other fowls to this country.
Huge numbers of chickens have come
here from Russia, but these fowls, in
general, have been frozen and as a re-
suit of unScientif1c refrigeration have
been below the local birds in quality.
This Is true to a certain extent also
Of the South American birds. Japan is
sending a choice lot of chickens of
broiler size to this country and Is find
ing a ready sale, despite duty and
freight charges.
The quail of Argentina now have be-
come standard article of food In this
market, faring much better than REIN
deer and whale meat, which were ex-
plotted by local food merchants for a
time. China still is shipping a huge
quantity of dried and processed eggs to
this country. The majority of these for
eign products are used by the whole
salers Of food products rather than by
the American housewife. The latter still
inclines sharply to homegrown fowls
and fresh laid eggs.