Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1861-01-03
GREEN MOUNTAIN FREEMAN, JAN. 3, 1861.


should be used from the fact that it is NOR,
agreeable. Our instincts are in many thing
as safe guide as reason. Why is it that al
most every one in the heat OF summer crave:
cold water, and the colder the better The
longing for cold is as universal as the longing
for food, and we may quite as safely use the
means 10 crafty it. We have never yet met
with the man or child that did not prefer as
matter Of taste ice beverages to these al
the ordinary temperature Of well water. We
have used them for years, and have never
felt or known any injurious effects from them
1t is time that that old wife S fable that ice
is not safe article in the family was dis.
cardod among intelligent people.
THE ICE HOUSE
may be cheap or expensive according to a
mans taste and means. The essentials are
few, and any farmer may build with his own
hands, and generally from his own premises,
a house that will keep ice as well as build
ing that costs thousand dollars Plans have
occasionally been given in our pages, and if
our readers will refer to them, they will hard.
Iy fail to find something to suit their means.
In selecting a site for the building, conven.
fence should be consulted for it is an article
that will be wanted daily. 1t may be above
or partially below ground, as best suits the
character Of the place where it is to be put.
In either case good drainage is essential.
If the bottom Of the pit or cellar be sand
or coarse gravel, nothing will be necessary
but to cover it a foot deep with cobbIos, or
with chips and bilcts of wood Ice will not
keep well in less body than cube oil ten
feet, aud if Ice is near BY it would be still
better to have it larger The sides Of the eel.
lar may be built OF stone or brick, and the
wood work ABOVE OF the cheapest materials
The roof should be made to shed rain and
the sides be so constructed that the space be.
tween the outer and the inner walls may be
filled with some non.conducting substance
Slabs from the saw mill will answer tempo
rary purpose, but boards are better and are
always to be preferred where n man builds
upon his own premises.
The space between the outer and inner wall
Of the house, should be at least foot, and
this should be packed solid with saw dust or
some other good non.eonducler. Charcoal is
better than saw dust, but is not enough better
to pay for extra expense. Saw dust can gen.
orally be procured from the saw or single
mills, for the cartiug and this is good enough
If tie cracks in the gable ends are lett with
out battenng, it will furnish all the top ven
uatlon needed.
THE PACKING or TIE ICE
is about "a. important as the construction OF
the house. in order to have the Ice keep well
Over tue draining cobbes al the bottom, put
layer OF straw or saw dust so that no heat
from the earth below can be conveyed TO the
ice
The cakes should be cut as regularly as
possible, and as large as can be conveniently
handled by two men. Two by three feet will
be found convenient size for cakes OF one
foot in thickness and less. A complete set
Of ice tools will cost about fifty dollars if a
man is going into the business OF packing ice
for sale. Bu; to cut for a family nothing
more is needed than an ordinary cross cut saw
u-ed for logs. \ hole is opened in The ice
with an axe, and the saw follows previously
marked line along the outer edge Of the space
from which the ice is 10 be taken After the
first tier OF cakes is taken out every fourth
side Of the cake may be split off with an axe
about as straight as i; can be sawed Where
business is made oil saving ice, it can be
furnished at the pond or river for twenty-five
cents ton \ pole with hook at the end
will be needed for pulling tho cakes out Of
water on to the solid ice, One of The pleas.
ATTEST scenes Of winter is party Of ice men
gathering their winter harvest.
The coolest weather should be selected for
filing the house. Make the covering of saw
dusteyen as possibe,hc upon this lay the first
tier as snug as it can be paeaed, leaving about
SIX inches space upon the outside OF it be ram.
med with saw dust, or straw, or sea weed as
you fllup. After each tier is laid, fill all
the creviccs with snow or pounded ice. If
the weather is very cold, AMI the water will
freeze Immediately, this may be poured into
the creyicos
Much Of the success Of the packing do,
ponds upon the filling Of the cracks. If the
whole mass is solid all the melting must be
upon the outside. Sweep off the first tier,
and pack the second in the same manner, and
so on until the house is filled to the caves
On the top put foot OF saw dust or two
feet Of straw, or other non conductive sub.
stance The top should have just ventla-
ton enough to carry off the heated air that
accumulates in summer under the roof.
AFTER TREATMENT OF TIE ICE
Some open the ice.house every day, or sew
eral times day, making it, in fact, refrig-
$50 49,. g.. c,p,;l,, ,,ea Th,a lranuant ocon