St. Landry democrat., 1882-01-21
A Cheap Ice.H0use.

i All OF the numerous plans for cheap
A'ce-house, which have been published !
f-ecently. have contained one item as
absolutely necessary for the preserva-
ton OF ice, and that is sawdust. 10 !
persons who reside near saW-mill this
is small item, because they can pro-
cure this article easily and cheaply, but
there are hundreds who cannot obtain it
except at great trouble and expense
These will find an efficient substitute in
straw To build an ice-house where
straw is the only material to be obtained
for packing, requires some modification
of the plans used where sawdust is en-
ployed.
Here is my plan for an ice-house
which will keep ice through the hottest
summer, and is the cheapest servicea-
BILE building that can be made for the
purpose. 1t should be square, and may
be as large as desired. For posts use
two-inch plank, sixteen inches wide
They may be set in the ground, or rest
outside, neil common rough pine boards
with the lower edge beveled to shed
rain. For the inside, Gull boards may
be used. When the outside and inside
boards are nailed on, there will be a
space between them sixteen inches wide.
This space is to be packed with straw,
which should be cut shorten or fifteen
inches in length-and firmly tramped III.
Perfect drainage is absolutely necessa-
ry To secure this, the floor should
slope least foot, and should be cov-
cred with small poles or coarse brush,
laid in the direction of the slope, to the
depth of ten or twelve inches These
shouldbe covered with layer OF straw.
ana on this pack your ice.
The ice should be cut in square blocks
and packed in solid cube, leaving
space of fifteen or twenty inches between
it and the wall Build the cube up even
with the caves of the building, and make
it solid by throwing water over it as YOU
build. When the ice is all in, pack the
space between it and the wall with shor
straw, Put ON your roof-lt may be O
rough boards, and put on in balloon
style. but it should shed rain, Fill thu
space between the ice and the roof Will
short straw; this will settle enough Il
leave sufficient space between it and thu
roof for ventilation. Anopening, foo
OF so square, should be made in eacl
end of the building just under the top Q
the roof, for the air to pass through
The door should be on the north side
and open outwardly. 1T need not b
over two feet wide.
The best straw for packing is the butt
of sheaxes of oats. 1t packs solid,
clean, and for this purpose is nearly a
GOOD as sswdust. Many farmers fee
their horses oats in the sheaf during tn
fall and winter, and the butts OF thes
can readily be cut off with a sharp hay
knife, and stored away for the purpose
Bank the house with earth about Toe
high on an sides except the lower, wher
the drainage water flows out Ii farm
ers would only consider ice a necessity
instead Of luxury land learn how cash
it may be kept, think few OF thel
would ever be without 1T. The abov
described ioe-house is "a very cheap
easiiy-built affair, and will serve GOO
purpose many years.. In the preserve
non of fresh meats, fish, vegetable
butter, in making cooling drinks, and
eases of sickness, ice will save the 90
of the building and labor OF packln
many times over in one summer. LII
chief essentials of successful noe prese
walton are total exclusion of air fro
the body of ice, perfect drainage unde
meath, and thick envelope CT son
good non-conductor OF heat tor. q
.aaniaaer and Chronicle. .