Poultry and birds that are to be baked or roasted are usually stuffed, as it gives them a plumper appearance, though occasionally some one suggests that the stuffing absorbs much of the flavor of the bird so dressed and recommends the discontinuance of this practice. For a change omit the stuffing, but thrust an onion or a piece of bread into the cavity to produce moisture. If birds are small, so that they do not require long cooking, two or three mushroom caps, peeled and sautéd in a little hot butter five minutes, may be pushed into the cavity. Thus cooked the mushrooms will flavor the birds and be in turn flavored by them.

When the fowl or small birds are to be stuffed, fill the body with materials of such kind as is desired; put in a little at the slit in the skin of the neck to fill out the place left by the removal of the crop, and fold the skin down over the back; put in the rest of the stuffing at the cut made in drawing the fowl; push the cushion ot the tail, after removing the oil-bag, into the same opening and sew securely.