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Show ""poultry I I I DRESSING POULTRY FOR MARKET. MAR-KET. By C. G. Patterson, Secretary of the Wasatch Produce Co. Few people living in the country realize the advantages of shipping poultry from the old farm, dressed instead of alive. The advantage of dressing before shipping , pays many times for the trouble involved. It is impossible to ship live poultry any distance without a heavy shrinkage. After they arc dressed, shrinkage practically stops if they arc properly packed. Shipping alive Mitails the use of heavy cumbersome coops which are expensive and on which the regular express charge must be paid, to say nothing of the higher express rats that prevail on poultry shipped alive. Frequent loss occurs by death .from sufTocation, crushing, and accidents acci-dents of various kinds in coops of live fowls. All these troubles arc avoided by dressing before shipping. The Salt Lake market requires fowls to be dressed with heads and feet left on and with entrails in. To many it is a problem to kill with tho head on without mnrring the appearance appear-ance of the carcass. This can be ac-cimplishcd ac-cimplishcd by taking the fowl by the wings with the left hand. Draw the wings together over the back holding them firmly between the back and the first joint. If properly caught, tho thumb and first two fingers of the hand arc free to hold the head of the bird. Draw the head squarely over the back, holding the same in left hand with the w'ngs. With a sharp 'bladed knife, stick the bird in the roof of the mouth. Let the direction of the thrust be toward the point where the head and neck joins, and cut deep enough to ach the vital spot. Most beginners are inclined to push the knife directly into the top of the head rather than down toward the neck. A' little practice will enable one to give the blade the proper twist to do the work, mid if hold in the matin jr indicated the bird cannot struggle. To properly ictld, take a largo voa- 1 Jcl, as a tub or wash boiler and heat water to proper temperature. Take ) dead fowl by the head and dip the foot in first. Scald the legs and low- ! cr part of the body, then take it by jf the feet and. repeat on the remainder I of the carcass. The water should be 1 hot enough to loosen the skin and toe jj nails of the feet and shanks so that they will peel off nice and smooth, j and cause the feathers' to slip easily. Practice will determine the right temperature. When birds arc scalded throw on table or shelf and take the feathers off with a kind of rubbing motion. Remove the skin on shanks and feet and pull off the toe nails. This improves im-proves the appearance of the 'bird. Practice makes proficiency in this operation. op-eration. After picking place in cold water until birds arc thoroughly cooled, then pack in clean boxes lined with paper and ship. Pack so as to exclude the air as much as possible and always ship by express. Do not make the mistake of packing while there is any animal heat left in the carcass. Never ! kill birds with full crops. Allow twenty-four hour.-; betweon last feeding feed-ing and killing. J Tn dressing springs the water must j be considerably cooler for scalding j than for old chickens, and extreme J care must be exercised not to tear the j skin when the fcaithers arc pulled. , Nothing but practice will enable one to know when things are just right and to do satisfactory work, j |