The Billings gazette., 1899-01-20
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FILLING THE lCEHoUsE.
A New Wrinlxle-HOw to Save Time
When 1t IL Most Valuable.

5 -llLINlls lst7G lCEHOUSE.
When 1t IL Most Valuable.
If the icehouse has been constructed
on the bank of creek, river or other
large stream of water it may be filled
by drawing the ice directly from the
water into the house by steam or horse
power, or, if built on small scale, the
ice may be hauled by wagon and, in
the top by simply using skid, after
drawing to point higher than the
house. have seen icehouses located in
the barnyard or near to it and filled by
drawing on to the barn floor and push
ing the IL off at the height of the wag
on bed, from which point it would run
in at the, top of the icehouse and then
have a drop Of Is feet to the bottom.
This makes very convenient way of
getting ice in, and if the barnyard and
its surroundings are what they should
be the location is to be recommended
rather than advised against
With four or five inches of sawdust
in the bottom and all openings closed,
the filling is q simple matter and con-
sists in placing.the ice as compactly as
possible, building it up solid against
the outside wall. am aware that some
will say this is wrong and that it should
be placed three or four inches from the
wall and this space rammed with saw
dust. This, it is true, is correct prin-
ciple, but it is certainly false economy
If it is filled close to the wall, much
time will be saved when time is an i'm
portant item, and soon after spring opens
up this space will be found ready and
may be filled and packed with sawdust
on q wet day when time is less valuable
than at filling time.
The ice all in, care should be taken
to see that it is covered from foot to
18 inches deep over the entire surface.
A very careful examination should be
made to be certain that no air enters
under the ice, and it should be excluded
as nearly as possible from all around,
for it is an air current rather than
warm weather that melts ice.
Professor J. F. Hickman. whose ad-
vice, as expressed in The National
Stockman and Farmer, is here given,
Gays in conclusion that in building and
filling icehouses the same object should
be sought after as in building silo--
namely, the exclusion of air. The same
principle in taking out ice applies in
taking out ensilage-namely, make it
rule to expose the least possible surface.
Terms Used In Fertilizer Analysis.
The terms used to express the results
Of analysis are self explanatory for the
most part. Attention is called, however,
by the New York station to water
soluble" phosphoric acid and nitrogen.
While manufacturers are required to
guarantee only the amount Of available
phosphoric acid (water soluble plus re-
verified or citrate soluble), yet it seems
desirable that consumers should know
what proportion Of the available is wa
ter soluble. The amounts Of available
phosphoric acid being equal one would
choose by preference a fertilizer con.
tanning the larger amount Of water solu
BILE phosphoric acid.
The water soluble nitrogen includes
nitrogen present in the form of ammonia
salts and nitrates together with that
present in small amounts Of soluble or
ganic matter.
1t should not be inferred that water
soluble nitrogen is Of more value than
the rest. 1t is, Of course. more readily
available SO far as it consists of nj
trates but it must be remembered that
nitrogen in this form teaches and is lost
to plants more readily than nitrogen in
other forms.