The Red Cloud chief., 1881-12-29

Ice and Ice Houses.
There is nothing which Is more use.
full OF convenient on q farm than Ice IN
summer, especially when the dairy
forms an important feature; and consid-
ering the comparative ease OF furnish.
ing and preserving it, it is often q won.
der TO us that more farmers do not con.
struct ice-houscs and cut ice. 1t is true
that there is some advantage in no,
having ice, but that advantage results
from an unwise use OF it in summer
drinks, where il is ut hand.
1t is only a few years since that the
preservation of ice upon the farm was
thought TO be impracticable. because o.
the expensive structures which were
deemed necessary for the purpose; and
even in the extreme north farm ice.
houses were scarce and the dairy was
conducted in summer without this very
useful article. But il was 81 last found
that expensive structures were not
needed for the preservation. and. every
year finds farms before unsupplied with
ice. duly supplied. At this season, too.
frequent inquiries come to us as To the
mode of constructing a house. cutting
and saving the ice. etc. We now have
such inquiries upon table, and will
proceed TO answer them.
An ice-house may be constructed
wholly above the ground. or partly
above and partly below. as fancy or
convenience NAV dictate. Either plan
is practicable and works well. II but q
small quantity of ice is needed-and
generally that is the case upon the farm
the ice-house, or more strictly speak
ing. place of preservation, may be very
simple indeed. A bin, in the basement
. of a building. with double walls. and the
spaces between the walls filed with saw
dust or tan-bark. will do good service.
1t should be about square, and the
cakes of ice-whicbsshould be as large
as can be conveniently handled-shonld
be packed as closely as possible. Be-
tween the cakes and around the sides
saw-dust should be packed. and on the
top Of the pile, it should be placed at
least a foot deep. Drainage must neces.
sarily he supplied. and directions for
that cannot very well be given, without
knowing just what the surroundings
are. but n mans good judgment will al
ways devise a pl.n for draining. One
of the most prominent dairymen in this
country uses an ce-houSe. which he de-
scribeS as a mere hole in the ground,
twelve feet cube. with n Shed over it.
This. he says. supplies an abundance OF
ice for The milk of twenty COWS. As
this dairyman lives further south than
the latitude in which most OF the coun-
try's dairying is done, the waste is
greater with him than it would be elso-
where in on. dairy districts. in which
that amount of ice. therefore. would
be sufficient fG the milk of more than
twenty.
MI. Waring describes an ice house
which is very simple in construction
and quite inexpensive, so much so in
deed. and the plan being SO efficient.
underthe most unfavofable conditions,
that No farmor need be without one o!
these NructuUcs. unless be wishes to.
A place is selected on the north side
of soroe building; a floor is laid on
scantlfngs, twelve feet square. n foot
from the ground. Near each corner
two posts, from four to six inches
square. and about ten feet high. are set
firmly in the ground. When the
weather becomes cotd, SAW dust, tan
bark. or rye straw is placed on this
floor, eight or ten inches deep. On the
top of this another floor is placed OF
the same size as the first, = curb being
! placed inside the posts in order to keep
the filling between the floors in place.
Next a curb Is made, ten feet square,
and six inches deep, fastened at the
corners with hooks, common gate
hooks Then when a cold day comes,
b curb is placed on the center of the
floor, two inches of tan bark is put in,
ana water is dashed in until it forms q
coat of ice that will not leak. The
curb Is then filed with water, and left
standing until 1t is frozen solid. With
boiling water the curb is then loosened,
raised TO the top of the frozen mass,
hiied and frozen as before. This is re-
peated until sufficient height is pro-
duced. Boards are now placed on the
inside OF the posts. and the space be.
tween them and the ice filed with tan
bark or rye straw. Then nail boards
to the outside of the posts and gill the
space between the two walls with rye
straw. Cover the top with tan bark to
the depth Of ten inches. Over the
whole place a root. The ice is taken
from the top. While this plan is for use
when the farmer cannot cut ice, the
house itself viii answer for storing ice
that is cut
The principle of preserving ice is ia
prevent the heat from reaching it, and
whatever will accomplish this end is "a
be adopted. This is the object of the
filling between the walls and the pack.
ing about the ice. Whatever isa non.
conductor of heat therefore, is to be
selected for this purpose. Keeping this
principle in view, almost any mans in.
genuity can devise IN ice house which,
though it may be unlike anything els<
that was ever buik. xyd very rude in
construction. will preserve the ice, and
that is all that is yantkd
If we were going to construct an ice
house we should cut the straw, as that
would make closer packing possible.
We do not know that we have ever seen
chat used, or recommended, but ne arr
inclined to think that il would answer
the purpose which any of the article.
named for packing serves -R essers
Ruyoi.
"A widow applied to the Mayor Of
Allegheny, Pa. for aid. She had not Z