Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-01-21
Farmers Ice.HOuSes.

All that is necessary is to build of
liberal dimensions; provide drainage, so
that no water can stand under the ice in
contact with it; be sure and trap the
drain; inclose the ice with double walls
of studs and board partitions, leaving at
least thirty inches between the boards;
fill the space with dry sawdust or dry
tanbark Qhe former is preferably, and
pack it closely; build the walls ct least
one foot above the top of the ice: leave
openings so that air may circulate freely
through the house over the ice; roof SO
as to exclude rain and bank around the
building with earth so as to prevent air
from escaping from the house under or
through the foundations; and cover the
ice with not more than ten or twelve
inches of dry sawdust No straw, tan,
sawdust or other material are required
under or between the layers of the ice
usually make the floor on which the
ice rests of any rough wood laid closely
on the earth. Neither stone nor brick
foundations are necessary. Blocks, on
which to rest the stills, laid on the ground,
properly leveled, are good foundation.
Three by four inch scantling are heavy
enough for the stills, studding and plates
The boards forming the double walls of
siding, inclosing the sawdust filing,
should be placed on the outside of the
inner row of studding and on the inner
side of the outer row. When sided thus
very little mailing is required, as the
pressure of the dust on either side keeps
the board walls against the studding.
The dust should be set on board floor
few inches from the earth that it may
not absorb moisture from it. Half-inch
bolts should be used to bolt the inner
and outer rows Of studding together, to
prevent the dust or other filling from
spreading them apart; one every four
feet in the height Of the studs is all that
is required.
The earth embankment all around the
building should be closely packed against
the outer boards, and, il it can be con-
veniently obtained without excavating a
trench around the building, it Is better
to avoid making trench; but the waters
from the roof and that which falls or
flows around the building should be con-
veyed from it by good surface drainage.
1t is better to project the caves of the
roof well, unless cutters are provided,
SO that the roof-water may not wash the
embarked earth from the building. Gut
tiers are preferable. The door for filling
should extend from sill to eaves-plate.
No hinges are required for the doors.
There should be double rows of cleats on
each of the wide door jambs; between
each double row bin-boards should be
loosely inserted as the filling of the
house advances, and the spaces between
them should be finally filed with dust
the same as the remainder of the walls.
The ice may be removed through the
same door by removing the loose boards,
and the sawdust in the doorway should
be thrown in around the ice.
AS the ice melts next to the walls the
space should be kept filled with dry dust.
The filling in the doorway should always
be maintained one foot higher than the
bulk of ice. When the house is filled the
ice should be so placed as to be highest
in the center, and should be 80 kept
throughout the season in which it is
used that the melted DRAWINGS from its
upper surface may flow off toward the
wall and thence to the floor, instead OF
filtering through the main body OF the
mass of ice. This precautiOn alone,
when have recommended its strict OBJ
servance. has secured the keeping OF ice
throughout the season in houses before
considered worthless. Too much cover
ing material on the ice in the house.
if it is allowed to ferment,
is worse than too little.-Cov. Country
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