Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-11-20
FILLING ICE-HOUSES.

The American Agricnlturist has
word in season in regard to ice
houses and how to I'LL them. The
first thing to be done is to gather
a few loads of sawdust-about
seven hundred bushels will be re-
quired for q house twelve feet
square, and ten feet high, to give
an ample supply. If sawdust can
not be procured, dry waste tan
bark is equally good; dry swamp
muck, forest leaves, cut straw chat,
or chat from the thrashing-ma-
chine, !are all very good substitutes;
but an open air space is only about
forty per cent as effective as am
one of these substances. A house
twelve feet square will hold a mass
of ice ten feet squa e, which will
give about five thousand pounds
for each foot in height, yielding a
supply Of Onehundred pounds daily,
for about two months. One hun
bred pounds of water from one
hundred and seventy four degrees,
down to thirty two degrees, all
sorbing one hundred aud forty-two
degrees of beat from the water, in
the slow process of liquefaciion
alone. These figures will enable
any person to calculate how much
ice may be required for any Specl
fed effect. Thus as ne hundred
pounds of ice absOrbs fourteen
thousand aud two hundred units OF
heat, AMI We want 10 cool seven
hundred and ten pounds Of milk
frum sixty-fve to forty-fve de-
grees, we shall find that the ice
will just do it, because seven hun
bred and ten pounds cooled twenty
degrees, equals fourteen thousand
and two hundred units. In the use
of ice, it is therefore seen to be a
great economy, to cool the milk
down to just as low a point as
possible, by means of cold we'll or
spring water, before it is set in the
ice water pool. For a three huu-
dred quart dairy, or for twenty
five cows, then, one hundred pounds
OF ice will be required daily, and
for the season of eight months,
when ice may be necessary, the ten
feet square of ice should be raised
eight feet, which will allow for
waste, which is usually about forty
or ffty per cent on the average of
the season. All ice-hOuse may be
very simple; an enclosing shell,
with walls and tight roof, perfect
drainage, sufficient non-conducting
material, an open space above for
ventilation, and a perfectly air
tight foundation, are all that are
required. The house or receptacle
may be made IN a corner OF a barn
or shed, or a plain shed may be
made out-Of-dOOrs, OF a space in
NOW of straw may be utilized ;
any device is effective, if only the
above named requisites are secured.
\ very simple ice-house is made
in this way. Nine poles are set in
the ground in a spot where surface
water will not give trouble. Boards
twelve feet long are nailed to the
posts lengthwise all around, and
the corners are covered with strips,
tapping one on to the edge of the
other, to make a neat and close
finish. The boards are cut out be-
tween the two posts in the centre
of the front to made a doorway,
and two inch dOOr-cheeks and Intel
are spiked to these posts. The
bOari IRON the inside are kept for
the loose inside door, to be- put IN
one by one, resting against the
doOr-ehecks, as the ice is filed IN,
aud the outer boards are nailed
with wrought nails to upright
cleats 10 make door. The space
5,twren the boards are filed in
" ia >awduSt two inch planks
aie spiked Oh the posts, HAT for
plates, and d cOnical roof with
broad caves, left open at the
plates for ventilation, is put OIL
The ice has eighteen inches of saw
dust under 1t, and foot on each
side around it. A covering OF
eighteen inches should be put on
top. In cutting the ice, care is to
be taken TO get the blocks Of even
90 -. - ..,.I- .Inao1.~