New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-11
WILL THE ICE CRcP BE Target

The advent Of winter naturally sets many person.
thinking OF the probable extent OF the ice-crop and
suggests to prudent hOusekeepers speculation as 10
the prices that are likely to rule next summer Tbs
recent cold weather, coming as il did at the very
beginning of the season, would seem to indicate that
q long winter will follow. There is an old SAVING
that when there is o good crop Of Chestnut
there ia sure to be q good crop of ice n
this be true ice will be both plentiful and cbean
next summer, for there has been n rare croD 81
chestnuts this season. Last year the ice crop was
very small, but there had been so great q QUANTITY
left over from the previous winters supply that
there was no scarcity aud prices were cOnparatveI
moderate all through last summer. There will Ia
no such surplus 10 fall back upon this year. for the
stock on hand is small and the supply will depend
altogether upon the crop that's to be gathered A
TRIBUNE reporter called upon some Of the prncipat
ice dealers recently TO get an expression of their
views upon the subject.
Robert Maclay, president OF the Knckerbocser
lee Company nc No. 1872 Canal-st said; "It
il altogether too early to express an
opinion as to the probable supply of ice this winter
and, consequently, as 90 the prices that will prevail
next summer. There has been very little cold win
ter yet and cold day or two at this time can pro-
duce no ice. A gentleman who has just come from
Albany informs me that 10 IS not so cold there as
here and that all the ferries are open the upper
Hudson. As TO what sort OF a winter we shall have,
| can only guess like any other man. | study tho
Signal Service reports aud Vennors predictions;
but as vet we can only forecast the weather for
few days. [ believe the time Will come, however,
when We shall be able to know what sort II
weather there will be for month or two ahead;
Bui NJ ITtStDI VIC idNO nv h"ANSO ""NNiN "NhSho
iancleS." ~
What is the amount of ice on hand n
"Practically there is none. Last year
there was n light CROP and the stock was so well
cleared out that there Is no surplus. We shall de-
pend upon this winters harvest for our supply, and
what hat viii be it is impossible 10 guess nOw.'
Alexander NJ Earle, president Of the Consumers
Ice Company at the loot Of Horatio-st., North
River said - While 1 do not think there is
very Large supply of Ice on hand thereis some leo
store the houses up the river; perhaps as much
as 100 900 or 10000 tons. There has been no cut
ting yet, except on shallow ponds in private way,
aud have heard of no Ice that was thicker than
four inches The fats were frozen over mp tho
river. | cannot attempt to say what sort or WIN
ter we are likely to have. Weather Is very uncer-
tain" ..
John iMulford president of the Mutual Benefit
Company, at No. so Ninth-ave., said: Anything
that might say at the present time about the
coming Ice crop would be mere conjecture. do not
think an early winter 50 promising tor good lce
crop and for this reasOn If the river freeze In
November or early in December SHOWS or freshets
are pretty sure to follow and break the Ice up 10
find any ice in the river now you must go above
Catskl and there il is just thick enough TO impede
navigation and not nearly thick enough to cut.
The water is very low on the upper Hudson Just
now, and ice that could be got from 10
would not probably be very good. OF the stock
left over from last years crop there is, should
think, about 100, 900 tons less. But 1t is poor
ice and dirty. Ii 1t had been in good condition 1t
would have been sold last summer. The supply for
next summer will depend entirely upon the crop
that we harvest this season. In another month,
perhaps, we shall have some idea of what the crop