Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-11-18
Ice and Ice Houses.

Ice and Ice Houses.
There is nothing which is more use.
fll or convenient on 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 Won
der to us that more farmers do not con-
struct ice-houses and cut ice. 1t is true
that there is some advantage in not
having ice, but that advantage results
from an unwise use of it in summer
drinks, where it is at hand.
1t is only q few years since that the
preservation of ice upon the farm was
thought to be impracticable, because of
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 it was Mt 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 house, cutting
and saving the ice, etc. We now have
such inquiries upon our 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 may dictate. Either plan
is practicable and works well. If but
small quantity of ice is needed-and
generally that is the case upon the farm
4 the ice-house, or more strictly speak
ing, place of preservation, may be very
simple indeed A bin, in the basement
of building, with double walls, and the
spaces between the walls filed with saw
dust or bark, will do good service.
1t sheuld be about square, and the
cakes of ice-which should be as large
as can be conveniently handled-should
be packed rs 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 foot deep. Drainage must neces-
sarly be supplied, and directions for
that cannot very well be given, without
knowing Just what the surroundings
are, but mans good judgment will al
ways devise n plan for draining. One
of the most prominent dairymen in this
country uses an ice-house which he de-
scribes as mere hole in the ground,
! twelve feet cube, with 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 else
where in our dairy districts, in which
that amount of ice, therefore, would
be sufficient for the milk of more than
( twenty.
Mr.. 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,
under the most unfavorable conditions,
that no farmer need be without one OF
these structures, unless he wishes to.
/ A place is selected on the north side
of some building: q floor is laid on
scantlings, twelve feet square, one 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 cold, 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 curb is made. ten feet square,
and six inches deep, fastened at the
corners with hooks, common gate
hooks. Then when cold day comes,
/ the curb is placed ON the center of the
floor, two inches of tan bark is put in,
and water is dashed in until it forms
coat of ice that will not leak. The
curb is then filed with water, and left
standing until it is frozen solid. With
boiling water the curb is then loosened,
raised to the top of the frozen mass,
| filed 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 fill 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 q roof. The ice is taken
from the top. While this plan is for use
when the farmer cannot cut ice. the
house itself will answer for storing ice
|
The principle of preserving ice is to
prevent the heat from reaching it, and
whatever will accomplish this end is to
be adopted. This is the object of the
filling between the walls and the pack
ing about the ice. Whatever is non.
conductor of heat, therefore, is to be
selected for this purpose. Keeping this
principle in view, almost any man in
genuity can devise an ice house which,
though it may be unlike anything else
that was ever built, and very rude in
construction, will preserve the ice, and
that Is all that is wanted.
If we were going to construct an ice
house we should cut the straw, as thai
would make closer packing possible
We do not know that we have ever seer
chaf used, or recommended, but we are
inclined to think that it would answer
the purpose which any of the articles
named for packing serves. = Western
Rural.
"A widow applied to the Mayor o.
Allegheny, Pa. for aid. She had not ,
morsel of food in her house. and wa
about to be elected for non. payment o
! rent Her distress was not the resul
, of poverty, she explained for she wa