Connecticut western news., 1884-01-16
Construction Of m Ice House.

Ice is not only a luxury but neees- sity on farms where much milk is han dled. Ice in the dairy is indispensable for holding milk at proper tempera. ture and for the use of working and keeping butter. Farmers who have ex- perienced the convenience and comfort of an ample supply of ice in summer for household and dairy purposes, give as. surance that the gain in prices obtained for their products by the use of ice, and losses prevented in preserving meats, fruits, etc., pays with good interest the expenditure of money and labor i'll the erection and filling of the ico. house.
 Ice-houses may be very cheap and simple affairs, or they may be costly and elaborate. There are some general principles to be observed in the proper construction of any kind of ice-house, and all else is of secondary importance. There must be perfect drainage and no admission of air beneath, ample ventila- ton and perfect dryness above, and suf- ficient non-eonducting material for pack ing below, above and around the ice by which its low temperature may be pre-. served.
 Ice ought to be cut with q saw into blocks of regular size, so that they will pack into the ice house solidly and with out having any spaces between them. When cut in this manner thin blocks will keep well, but a thickness of as mauy as six inches is preferable. Ice should be cut and packed in dry, freez- ing weather, and, as it is packed, if pailful of water be dashed over each layer it will fill the spaces between the blocks and exclude the air. Previous to filling the ice-house it is a good plan to throw 1t open for two or three days, pro- vided the weather is crisp and cold. The house should be finally closed dur ing dry, cold weather.
 As has been said, the plans for build. ing ice-houses differ widely in various sections of the country, and each farmer can select such plan as is suited to his special wants and financial ability. Ex- cellent results are obtained from ice. houses built entirely above ground, those half below and those completely buried with the exception of the roof. Some times their houses are built with double walls, with the space filled with sand or sawdust; again, solid brick wall of brick or masonry is used, and sometimes there are two walls, each only a single brick thick, with an intervening air space.
 The best packing material consists of sawdust, peat tan, charcoal powder, and oat, wheat or buckwheat chaff or marsh hay. ........-.sfas.-. ..-.-s-s. . ..
 When the soil is grayelly and porous, an ice-house may be more cheaply built partly underground than one wholly above ground. There must, however, be perfect freedom from surface water, cr the house will prove a failure.
 Occasionally an ice-house is erected in the barn. The coolest corner of the barn is set apart for the ice. Where milk or fruit are the chief products of a farm, ice-houses are conveniently made with cool chamber below it. A hillside is the most convenient position for such an house. The method of construction is the same as for any other iec-house except the floor, which is made not only water tight but air-tight.
 Those not having access to lakes, nat ural ponds or rivers, can easily make an artificial pond large enough to furnish ice for small ice-house. Almost every farm will admit of a large peep pond, which, with occasional dredging during the dry season, will provide plenty of pure water and clean clear ice in the winter.