The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-10-17

a man has once had his harvest drink
water, tea and milk-cooled, he is not
apt to subject himself TO warm drinks
again. Ice-water is to be condemned
but water cooled by ice is as much more
wholesome than warm water as it is
more palatable. The GOODNESS impaired
by ice adds as much to the palatableness
and wholesomeness of food as it does to
drink. Ice not only preserves and in
creases the palatableness of butter, but
loss of sweetness certainly indicates loss
of wholesomeness and so with meats
and fruits. Ice keeps meats from faint
ing, thereby keeping it wholesome ms
well as toothsome. The farmer cannot |
go to the market every morning and |
purchase fresh meat, and he cannot keep |
meat in summer without ice therefore |
the farmer without an ice-house must
eat salt pork during hot weather, and
that is just what large majority of us
do. Ice will often save meats vegetables
and fruits from spelling outright, An
ice-house robs the swill-barrel, but how
much it saves for the table is hard to be
realized without the aid of practicle eX-
perience.
| am decidedly of the opinion that the
apparent indifference of farmers to the
claims of ice-houses is due to mistaken
notions of their cost. have frequently
heard my neighbors say that they would
have an ice-house if it did not cost so
much. Now an ice-house is one of the
most economical and cheap things in ex-
istence The materials need cost but
tritle, and the farmer can construct the
house himself If it is desired that the
house add to the attractiveness of the
property, and is placed where it will be
in plain view, then it must be made
more expensive. But it can be put in
some inconspicuous place, or hidden be-
hind trees or vines, in which case the
necessary cost of it will be very small,
All that is required is something that
will ward off rain and keep stratum of
sawdust about the ice. The house need
not be sunk into the ground. There is
no need of double walls. Refuse boards,
slabs, even poles, will do for the sides
and roof of boards or clapboards will
answer as well as any. Let me describe
as satisfactory an ice-house as | have yet
seen 1t was in locality where timber
was plenty, and the sides were made of
poles These were built up as you would
build up a rail pen, being rather deeply
notched to prevent rolling, and to make
the sides rather close. As they project
ed out over the cracks, driving rain did
not beat in. This pen was covered over
with boards, Tapped to form a tight roof
; and weighted down with heavy poles
= When the ice was put in, an opening be-
tween it and the poles foot wide was
left and, as the pile of ice was built mp
the sawdust was packed into this open
ing. Thus there was no need of double
walls. The entire cost of the house--a
good-sized one-was not twenty dollars
There must be good drainage, and the
best way to secure this is to make d
e | foundation of broken stones but these
. are not necessary. In localities-quitc
= numerous in the West-whcrc stones
4 are not quite readily obtainablc, sticks
of wood or rail pieces may ba used
|. Tramp them down solid till you have ;
5 layer foot thick Then put n layer @
sawdust to six to eight inches thicl; up
i. ON this and it is ready tor the ice,
= The more ice the better it will keep
Il md there must be 4 certain bulk for i
&, to keep at all. The minimum bulk tina
a will keep well is twenty-five tons A. .
{. ton occupies about forty cubic feet yol
can calculate the dimensions Of III
house accordingly. \ house ten fee
= each way inside the Sawdus, will hul,
twenty-five tons-the minimum amour,
1t is very important to pack the ic
:" closely. There must he no crcyice,
te Shape the blocks so that they will q
u Closely together cover with layer &
sawdust eighteen inches thick Then
y will require watching in the sprin.
or Even March winds are sometimes s.
~ warm that they will melt the ice. 4
l. soon as this happens get on it an
tramp it down solid, closing all hol,
.. and crcvires. When air-holes are ALLOW
ed to form, the ice will waste rapid,
IT, Ventilation must be provided for VII
in dows, can be made in the gables, or mao
in the rlblps omen Get the lee from II