Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-10-22

We were for three years the victim of too
much ice-house. Ours was fancy one with
a nice cupola on top, stone foundation
built up in mortar and air tight, covered with
matched siding and neatly painted II was
close as Jug and lined with sRwdust, which
was packed ia between a board lining and
the siding We had q little square hole left
on the east side for extra ventilation. The
building was a lean-to on the north side of
the kitchen, and fronted toward the north.
There were two outsides-the north and
the cast. The roof was very flat and made
of tin. For fear this would get hot and af-
feet the temperature of the ice-house we
painted il, and this made it last longer and
then we put ceiling overhead to break the
effect of the heat il any should come through.
Most people would say, now you are all
right, fill it up with ice and it will keep. 1t
did not, and so we shut the extra ventator
on the east side, but this did not make the
ice keep. We got out of ice before the sum-
mer was half gone.
During the rest of the season we talked
ice-house with every body we thought knew
anything about it. One man who was in the
business extensively, said the trouble was in
the stone wall that made the foundation.
"Ice" he said, would not keep near stones,
and they doubtless carry the heat inside"
We could not very well remove the founda-
ton, SO we tried to remedy its effect by put
ting plenty Of sawdust between it and the ice.
We also added another ventilating hole on
the door, and put blind on it with open
shutters. The next year the ice kept better,
but not as we wanted it, We were on the
right track, and the next year, when we took
the blind out and left all the ventilators open.
the ice kept good. This is the way we learn
ed the secret of keeping ice, which is, plenty
of sawdust and plenty Of ventilation with
out these, no matter how fancy the house is,
and how many theories and rules have been
carried out, the ice will not keep. A neigh
Dor always has plenty of ice and he does not
have any ice-house at all. He packs it in
square body under the COW shed, which has
a northern exposure and covers it thickly
with sawdust, which he packs as firmly as he
can, setting up boards on end around the pile
to keep the sawdust in place. He is careful
to have the first tier of ice high enough from
the ground so that water will not reach il
He puts the sawdust foot thick around the
ice and three feet thick ON the top.
pile feet high, feet wide, and long
will make 1884 cubic feet. And this is enough
for the use of an ordinary family for the ia
BILE and to cool the cream, etc Six team loads
fill an ice-house which contains about 400 cub
ic feet The blocks should be- cut as smooth as
possible and square, so that they will fit close
ly, and then ice must be chopped up fine and
crowded in between the pieces so Ms to make
a solid mass. The closer the ice is packed
and the more solid the mass is united togeth
er the better it will keep. When an ice. house
is too close there is great deal of coudensa-
ton which makes the whole contents wet and
dripping and causes the ice to melt rapidly.
The air must be kept dry as possible. l al
ways like TO see the top of the sawdust dry.
The more ice there is in a pile the better it
will keep. small quantity must be cover.
ed deeper and thicker than large mass. A
large mass will almost keep itself. II does
not require the protection of sawdust, but
straw or double wall of boards will be am
pie. Every person who makes butter ought
to have ice. 1t will more than pay for use in
the dairy, and then for the family it is lux
ury every provident man should supply r
ID. Curtis, IN the ". y. Tribune