St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-10-18
Economy and Ice.

The great majority Of farmers regard
Ice as a luxury they can not afford 10
indulge in. They are too far from town
to have it delivered to them by dealers,
and they are at no pains to preserve 1t
for their own use. They consider 1t a
costly luxury which only wealthy town
peopIe can afford to use, and which
farmers can get along without and still
be very comfortable. They do not APP
nreciate the economic value OF Ice or
the comfort it insures during extremely
hot weather They rarely seek TO estl-
mate the money value OF ICE N!Iy
people long since ceased to consloe r., ice
simply as an article of luxury iney
now regard it as an economical I IN
to buy and use in their houses: 1hey
find that the money they spend 1or ice
is saved in other things. BY means OF
refrigerator or ice-bo6 they can pre-.
serve during several days articles OF
cooked and uncooked food that would
otherwise be wasted. They find that
= supply of ice saves much fuel and a
LARGE amount of labor in cooking. Few
kinds of food or drink are appeti2lng
that are of the same temperature as the
surrounding air. They must be much
hotter or considerably colder IN order
to be grateful to the taste. In the sum-
mer they are most enjoyable when tney
are several degrees colder than the az
in the room where they are served.
During the past few years iced tea mas
generally superseded that which IS hot'
Other drinks rendered very cool by the
use of ice have taken the place OF not
drinks. Ice-cream is no longer consld-
cred as a luxury to many, but IS re-
garded as an economical dish. 1t costs
less to freeze cream and eggs than 1t
does to cook them. 1t is more pleasant
to work over freezing apparatus than
over 8 hot stove in July and August
Besides the article that is prepared by
freezing is more grateful than that pre-,
pared BY heating. Berries, peaches ana
melons can be Kept in excellent condi-
ton several davs by the use OF ice, and
they are much more pleasant to the
taste if they are chilled before they are
brought to the table.
Ice is as economical in farmhouse
as in one in the city. 1t is productive
of as much comfort in the former as IN
the latter. Ice is even more essential
in the country than in the city. In the
latter every grocer, butcher, and milk
dealer keeps supply of ice in suitable
receptacle for the purpose of keeping
the goods he stores and sells in good
condition. They can be moved from the
dealers refrigerator to the customers
house in very short time and without
| injury caused by heat. In the country
| matters are different. Farmers pro
duce most of the articles for the. supply
| of their tables and obtain others in toll
| erably large quantities when they 60 to
the market town. They use very little
| fresh meat during the summer on &C.
| count of the difficulty in keeping it either
in the raw or cooked state. They have nc
facilities for keeping even a carcass Of
sheep or lamb. If they kill sheep in
midsummer they are obliged to pre-.
serve portion of it in pickle or dis.
| pose of it to some of their neighbors.
| The flesh they consume is therefore
limited to salt meat or poultry. Very
| much salt meat is undesirable during
| the summer as it produces thirst. Few
fowls are in good condition to eat in the
summer except early chickens, and they
furnish expensive food. BY having q
supply of ice the farmer can have a
supply of fresh meat at very small
cost. The value of ice in the dairy can
scarcely be overestimated. Very fine
butter cannot be produced during the
hottest weather without it. Neither
can it be preserved or sent to market
Milk cooled by ice is one of the most
grateful drinks that can be used in the
season of haying and harvesting. Ice
cream is as cheap food as farmers car
obtain during the heat Of summer if they
have supply of ice with which to pre-
pare it. Milk and eggs are cheap, ant
fresh fruits furnish the best aavoring ma
terials. Ice is as desirable in the case
of sick animals as with human beings
Farmers who have ice-houses on theil
places find that they afford a gooc
many returns on the Investment, while
they afford comfort that cannot be pur
chased by money Chicago Times.