Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-28
REFRIGERATORs AND ICE.
Some Facts About One and Seasonable
Observations Concerning the Other.

lKN ETWEEN refrigera.ors and ice there
Eexist conditions similar to those between
q Ma guardian and his ward. The retrig-
~ orator holds a protectoral interest over
ice, so 10 speak. and Just at this time when the
lump left in front in the early morning is so
youthful in size the guardian should have its
ward in bond without delay and keep it with
tender, jealous care. An ice man chops off a
piece" now said TO be worth so much when
the patron il ''small consumer" The price
of this piece, it is alleged, is at present no
higher than last year, but somehow or other
the piece itself appears to be good deal
smaller. The reputed advance in cos. Of car
rage to market from the ice fields seems,
therefore, TO be met, not by an increase i'll
price of the piece, by simple diminution
IN the quantity of the article, 10 which no
careless, lmproviGent house keeper is expected
10 object. The large consumer" however.
taking say 100 pounds at a time. Is expected to
pay little higher. the ice being weighed
There being no failure IN the scale crop last
season and freight remaining the same there
Is no reason to charge more on their account
or excuse for causing them to indicate n less
number OF pounds to the hundred weight;
hence the enhanced price OF ice when weighed.
The natural appeal, therefore. is to
THE REFRIGERATOR,
the driver Of the ice wagon being proud and
defiant. Aside from the fact that refrigerator
is the best preservation of ice it Is one of the
most important articles Of the household. often
paying Tor itself in one season. But for what
ever purpose 1t is used it should be kept per-
teetly clean. a matter house keepers too often
neglect Cleanliness is as necessary to the
economy of ice kept in it az for the preserva-
ton Of food placed there. A zInk-lined refrig-
orator. which is the best, should be washed out
thoroughly three times week at least IN sum-
mer. For this soap and water with a little
ammonia in il should be used, using a pointed
stick to get into the crevices. Or few drops
of inter put in clear cold water will answer,
which will reduce the temperature and keep
the interior sweet and clean. Vinegar and
water Will take any stains on the zinc. The
refrigerator should be thoroughly dried before
placing anything back into 1t. Nothing warm
should De put into a refrigerator. as it is sure
to injure some sensitive article OF food. This
Is how many good matrons make mistakes
and then abuse the refrigerator, the ice man
and everybody but themselves. The relrlg-
orator should never be without ice. Many
people buy ice in small quantities twice day,
morning and afternoon, but the best way and
most economical is to get 100 pounds or block
OF ice at a time, and if le does not care to 60
to the expense of buying large ice chest
A HOMEMADE REFRIGERATOR
can be easily and inexpensively constructed
and used to great advantage if there is a
cellar to the house. Two dry goods boxes can
be had of almost any merchant one OF which
should be about two or three inches smaller
than the other all around. The larger one
should be set on bricks casters for conve-
nience in moving about, and a hole bored in
one corner and an inclination arranged to that
corner so as to throw the water into drip
ping pan immediately under the aperture
Resting upon cleats nailed TO the bottom of the
larger box inside should be the smaller one
with its bottom perforated with holes. This
box can be made high enough 10 admit frame
for holding meats, &c, just above the ice
which will relieve the regular refrigerator.
Nothing whatever should rest on the ice-it
spoils meats, and vegetables flavor the ice 1t
Is not necessary to pack between the boxes. but
an additional protection i'll the way of an ice
blanket might be thrown over the boxes after
the lids, which should be put ON both boxes
with hinges, are shut down. A solid block of
ice may be put into the homemade ice box or
cut into sizes for the refrigerator. An ordinary
wash tub, in the absence of boxes. is a fair lee
keeping receptacle. Place some thing on the
bottom for the ice to rest upon and wrap the
Ice IN a blanket, covering the tub over with
another blanket or piece Of carpet, and it will
keep well.
SOMETHING ABOUT KEEPING ICE.
very little negligence causes the waste of
a great deal of ice. There are two important
features to be considered in keeping ice-if
ohe % "DAe these ud!s 10 Duy enough 10 bother
about trying to keep-tirst to keep it entirely
covered with non-copducting material and
second to keep it as dry as possible The
larger the piece the longer it will keep, of
eourse-the smallest size lump that will hold
out twenty-four hours under the bes. condi-
tions being about Is pounds. small piece OF
ice will keep some time il put in piece OF
flannel or mousquetaire netting stretched
across bowl or pitcher, especially if a piece
OF flannel is laid over the ice.
A large number of house keepers throw away
the salted ice which comes PACKED around
freezers Of ice cream sent out by confectioners
ms can largely be saved by SIMPLY washing in
clean, cold water, and may be ~ again az
well IN the water pitcher as elseTA-rs