The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-11-28
PRESS,
t'oISzLANu
Saturday Morning, November 20, 1885,.


Eee Hon es.
Why shouldn't farmers have ice houses as
well as ether people? Surely they are EMIT
led to the luxury OF ice through the warm
season as well as anybody else, and it is their
own faHlt II they don't have it, 10 say moth.
ing ol the luxury of it. farmers need its use
III man ways. In some respects they need lt
more than the dwelers in cities. for the
! butchers keep meat fresh for the latter wi ,la
the former do not have such privileges. It is
| quite possible that some farmers believe that
suitable house for keeping house ice
| viii cost quite sum Of money But
Such Is not the fact. Almost every farmer
has on his premises an Old shed or A new one,
or Wo"dhouse, or some out building, and any
one OF these can,be easily and cheaply con-
Verted into COOL ice house, or rather COR
ner in any one of these can be thu, convert
ed corner OF shed or other out buikino.
may be rough boaIded at a triaing expense
and viii answer to keep ice in Just as well as
building made Tor the purpose costing a
hundred dollars or more.
a space ten feet square AMI eight ,e.t high
will hold twenty tons OF ice, a quantity SUI
| 6cient tor tho rlso oE ea- -orainaIy family IL
IS rot Indespensbiy necessary 10 double
board the sides. True, the ice may waste
some with so little protection, but with a
plenty of sawdust to iall down the sides
when ii melts, it will be protected by good
oreast-work. II does not require Inc exercise
OF very profound philosophy to preserve ice
through the summer season. The secret OF
such preservation is to pack the ice solid and
cover it with an abundance of saw dust, and
give IL proper ventilation. 1t is well to cut
the cakes OF ice so that they be packed away
in the house in such IA manner as not to leave
any waste places. Ii in packing any seams
or crevice5 are lett, these should be well filled
with pounded ice, so that no circulation OF
air should take place in the interior. TO
consolidate the cakes, some throw a few
pals OF water on them, but this is not essen
tial it the interst ces are well filed The cakes
should be sawed in regular blocks su that
they will form good masonry work when
they are laid.
The best non conductor for a covering is
saw-dust, and sprinkins OF this should be
placed on the ground before the ice is packed.
Saw-dust is clean, cheap, porous and does MT
decay and become musty so readily as straw.
In most localities it can be easily obtained, if
not, then rye straw will answer, but not so
well. We dare say every farmer has noticed
in the spring how the snow and ice are pre-
served in his woodward under the saw-dust
and chips, sometimes quite into June. This
TACT teaches good lesson in regard to ice
houses and proves that no great philosophy
or skill is required in keeping ice. The far
mer should bear in mind that the higher the
roof and the purer the circulation of the
air above the ice the better. Now what
shall prevent our farmer from having
plenty of ice through the summer?
Nothing but his own indifference and lack OF
energy. 1t is -eally surprising that so very
few farmers have ice houses! We are quite
SIRE il they should once prepare place, and
keep ice one season, they would L OF neglect il
afterwards; if they did, we can easily imag-
inc the scolding the good house wives would
give their hubands. No class OF our citizens
need ice houses more than our iaImers, and
now let them see to it this month that places
are prepared tor keeping ice so that it en- be
put in at the most convenient season. What
say you, farmers! Are you ready for this
little enterprise? Wehope you aIe.