off. [Be careful, in cutting off the feet of game or poultry, to cut
in the joint. If you cut above, the ligaments that hold the flesh and
bones together will be severed, and in cooking, the meat will shrink,
leaving a bare, unsightly bone. Besides, you will have nothing to hold
the skewer, if the ligaments are cut off.] Run the skewer into the
bone of the tail, and tie firmly with a long piece of twine. Now take
a longer skewer, and run through the two wings, fastening them firmly
to the sides of the bird. With another short skewer, fasten the skin
of the neck on to the back-bone. Place the bird on its breast, and
draw the strings, with which the legs were tied, around the skewers in
the wings and neck; pass them across the back three times, and tie
very tightly. By following these directions, you will have the bird in
good shape, and all the strings on the back, so that you will avoid
breaking the handsome crust that always forms on properly basted and
roasted poultry. When cooked, first cut the strings, then draw out the
skewers. The fat that comes from the vent and the gizzard of chickens,
should be tried out immediately and put away for shortening and
frying. That of geese, turkeys and ducks is of too strong a flavor to
be nice in cookery.

To clean the giblets: Cut the gall-bag from the lobe of the liver,
cutting a little of the liver with it, so as not to cut into the bag.
Press the heart between the finger and thumb, to extract all the
blood. With a sharp knife, cut lightly around the gizzard, and draw
off the outer coat, leaving the lining coat whole. If you cannot do
that (and it does require practice), cut in two, and after removing
the filling, take out the lining. When the poultry is to be boiled,
and is stuffed, the vent must be sewed with mending cotton or soft
twine. Unless the bird is full of dressing, this will not be necessary
in roasting.