Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-03-03


FOR CUTTING ICE. the branch, as it
will be necessary at times when there
are heavy rains or melting snow to pass
the water into the branch. At G make
wasteway from the pond to the branch,
and if there is any red clay convenient
line the wasteway with it SO as to pre-
vent washing A good two horse pillow
and a drag scraper will build pond
quicker and cheaper than it can be built
in any other way. The grade of the sup
ply ditch should be very easy and its
depth not less than two feet. After the
ice is harvested the temporary dam at
A should be taken out of the branch in
and the mouth Of the supply ditch
should be damned against excessive
rises in the branch. When this is done,
the water in the pond will sink and
evaporate, after which the pond is laid
by safe and sound and out of the way
Of summer rains until the following
winter, when very little work will be
required to put it in order for again
supplying ice.
Ice two inches thick will bear the
weight of man to go on it with an ak
and cut it loose so that it can be doated
to the bank, taken out and loaded into the
wagons. But it is safer for the cutter to
stand on plank 10 or IL inches wide
and Is feet long, and with his weight
SO distributed he can cut the ice along
side the plank without danger, using
the edge of the plank as guide for cut
ting straight Therefore it is unneces-
sary to place stakes about in the pond
to support the plank, as is done in some
sections, with the idea that the ice will
not support the weight of man. These
supports tend to weaken the ice. as it
does not freeze we'll around them, besides
rendering it less solid, therefore less
liable to keep in summer. The water in
the pond should never be more than
waist deep.
Fig. 2 shows superior form of hook
for handling the ice on the pond and
drawing it out Such hook costs little
or nothing, will last a long time and is
very effective. 1t is composed of two
pieces of fiat iron an inch wide and
one-quarter inch thick. Two holes are
punched through them, and they are
bolted to the side of pole f1attened to
fit them. This form of construction is
superior to sinking the hook in the end
of the pole, or SO forming the butt end
of the hook as to place it on the end Of
the pole. The best poles are slim pines,
t,or ov,l l.,
long time, but will last longer if little
paint be put on them.
The best way to get the ice out of the
pond is to draw itout on platform such
as is shown in Fig. as, if it be hauled
out on the ground, it will get more or
less muddy and be unsatisfactory to
use. The sloping part of the platform
should run down into the water, SO the
ice can slide upon it without trouble.
A slight jerk will pull itup on the level
part Of the platform, which should, if
possible, be SO built as to be level with
the top of the wagon body, into which
the ice will then slide without handling
with the hands.
The icehouse should be constructed
with a double roof; thus the sun will
affect only the upper roof, as through
the space between it and the lower one
the air will circulate freely and keep
the lower roof cool A we'll three feet
in diameter and four or five feet deep
should be dug in the center of the hole
This will prevent the water that melts
from the ice from standing in the bot
tom of the hole and causing the ice TO
melt more rapidly If the house do not
keep ice well, small pump may be
placed in it and the water pumped out
when necessary. The end of the pump
suction should he placed about 10 inches
above the bottom of the we'll and pro
tected by strainer to prevent leaves
and trash from being drawn into it. II
necessary to place drain pipe from the
bottom of the well to the outside, SO as
to take care of the water, it should be
at least one inch in diameter and have
trap in it to keep out the air, the en-
trance of which will make the ice melt
very much more rapidly.
In storing the ice the greatest care
should be taken to pack it compactly,
and the house should be filled to the
top even though the family will not
use it all. There are always unexpected
calls for ice and the surplus can be sold
to those in the neighborhood who did
not store ice.-Julien A. Hall Of Vir-
ginia in Rural New Yorker.