The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-02-27
Ice-HOuses on The Farm.

1t is matter of some surprise 10
thinking people how very few farmers,
even those who are wel'-.o-do, own
ice-houses. a farneT may have all the
modern farT machinery, elegant and
costly buildings with all the modern
improvements, but unless there exists
some pressing reason why he should
have an ice-house, he will get along
without it. Farmers will live all sum-
mer without fresh meat, except on rare
occasions; use butter just about as firm
as oil; drink water or milk that is
lukewarm, and suffer numberiess other
inconvenience which are the result of
a lack Of ice, for the simple reason that
nine farmers out Of ten cannot see any
profit in going TO the expense of erect
ing the necessary building. Even
those living on or near streams that
furnish good ice, are slow in falling
into the habit of storing a quantity of il
each year. In regard to this matter OF
a supply of ice: let one man in q
neighborhood build an ice-house, store
quantity of ice in good shape and use
it one season, and the next at least one
helf of his neighhors will follow his ex-
ample. Of those who do not, a small
portion may be unable to do so, but the
remainder can borrow ice from their
more provident ncighbors, or are too
shiftess 10 make even ordinary citi-
zens.
One reason why so few farmers have
these conveniences is not only the cost
of the building, but lack of knowl-
edge of how 10 keep ice. One of nv
ncighbors built house of stone, max
ing building that would have answer
ed for root cellar. His ice did moi
keep month longer than il it had been
i'll the open air. An ice-house need
not be an elaborate structure. have
known good ones constructed of slabs
or rails and straw. But it is much bet
ter to have one substantially made.
There is on most farms some small
out-building which has fallen into dis
use, and which, with very little trouble
can be turned into good ice-bouse.
When this is possible 1t should be done,
as IT saves useless expense. | have
even kpowlhice 10 be safely stored in
one end of an unused NOW. When il
is as economical, the better way is to
have building expressly for it. This
should be 10 larger than is required 10
contain the needed supply. 1t should
be square in shape, and high enough SO
that when the ice is stored it will form
a pile in the shape of cube. When
the dairy does not require a constant
supply every day, three cords will be
found very good supply for an ordi-
nary family. The building should be
well-drained, and when the ice is
stored-and it should be packed closely
as possible-the whole should be well
covered with sawdust. In storing it,
between it and the wall of the building
a space should be left, which should be
filled with sawdust, closely packed. Ii
should be ventilated, otherwise the ice
will not keep.
There are from four 10 five months
in the year when ice is a necessity,
when it is almost impossible to be COM
Portable without it, and for that length
of time ]ast year my supply of ice cost
me about four cents per day. Its value
in the household for that length of time
l dare not compute. We use it morn
ing, noon and night in the preparation
of iced drinks. Without it the butter
used in the family would be unpalata-
BILE. BY the use of a small ice-box,
fresh meat can be kept until consumed.
Too many cellars are so constructed
that without ice ii is almost impossible
TO raise all the cream on milk during
very hot weather. With a Cooley
dreamer, however, and liberal use of
ice, no difficulty is experienced in get
ting all the cream in fine condition. |
know that it was impossible, by any
practicable test, to detect any signs of
cream on my skim milk. | think that
the use of ice in my dairy alone last
season paid not only for my creamer,
but for my ice-house and supply of ice.
But there is much more in the use of
ice than can be estimated in dollars
and cents. Those who live in cities
cannot get along without their daily
supply of it, which is as much of a
necessity as their supply of meat or
bread, and they are willing to pay
what amounts to heavy tax in the
season for this luxury alone, and all
this as a mere matter of family comfort.
ls not the comfort of the farmers's fam
cases, as In sickness, when access to ice
Is one of the greatest blessings imagin-
able. And yet farmers continue to
neglect procuring q supply. 1t is a
cheap luxury. The labor of storing 1t
is done at time when 10 other work is
pressing. The ice market is generally
quiet. No spectators create "corners"
in ice in the country. Any one who
wants il can generally get ii for moth
ing. Now, farmers, one and all, store
a supply OF ice this winter and use IL
ext summer, and see for yourselves If
Is not a cheap luxury and great
egainO -TRural Now Yorkar