Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-12-30
FARM ICE HOUSES.

This Is the season 10 arrange for an
ice house to be filled this winter. Any
old style OF building will dc so long as
the roof is tight and proper drainage
is provided says a correspondent IN
the Farm Stock Journal.
Ice may be kept in a shed all sum
mer if it is we'll covered with saw ~ st.
but 1t must be packed in sufficient
quantities, as u small amount of ice
will not keep. An ice house IL feet
square or 12x14 is big enough on the
ground, but is must be sufficiently high
to give head room above the Ice and the
ice keeps better il ii is from 10 to II
feet deep.
In building an ice house several inn
portant details should be carefully con-
sidered. 1t is Il good plan to have il
near the Kitchen. 1t is no more work
to hau h ice TO a convenient place
for using than il is to take it to some
out OF the way place, then be Obliged
TO carry the chunks an Unnecessary dis
lance during the summe when every
body about the place is hard at work.
An Ice house with plenty of ice for
summer use is a great luxury. Many
farmers however, are much like one OF
my old neighbors who always Intended
TO build al ice house next winter but
he could not fill in hot weather and
when winter finally came again 1T was
cold enough to do without an ice house.
In this way he went without ice year
after ear Another neighbor felt that
he could not afford a separate building,
but as he had plenty of shed room
he fioored one end of a cattle shed with
poles to make drainage then filled ii
With ice, put q slab partition around ii.
chinked in the cracks with bits OF board
and old rails until 1t would mold saw
dust and had Ice to use the greater part
of the summer from this max eshift.
after the Ice house is filled 1t Is most
important to keep the ice covered. This
requires some attention during the first
warm weather of spring because the ice
will settle some, no matter how we'll
it is packed and covered with saw dust.
In settling. cracks are made in the mass
OF damp saw dust and these frequently
extend TO the bare ice. Unless they
-asA- allA-a eesssaes BE lcs- .::.i s-S..c--
In a few days.
Where sawdust Is scarce, marsh grass
makes a good substitute. 1t packs
closely when wet, is clean and does
no rot easily Into manure like straw
or hay. 1t Is not subject to the same
objection as saw dust in leaving open
cracks, but unless watched and packed
down occasionally, the air will get
through II perhaps just as easily.
The Kitchen refrigerator may be
made at home. but the manufactured
ones are better lockers. But whether
home made or factory made it should
be large enough to hold 200 pounds OF
Ice. A big Ice box requires filing only
once q week, besides this the III
ture Is o even. "A big ice chest
pays In another way. IL IS easier to
get things In and out. there is plenty OF
room and IL it Is not necessary to shift
four or nv articles to get the one you
are fater. In nlancing the ice box in
inc IL 4fGhAn aff 10 - -. .A 1880
the Ice is brought In. or still better.
put the Ice box in the shed just outside
the kitchen door.
A convenient and. valuable attach
ment TO an Ice box Is IA water reservoir.
II liz a bad plan to put ice liz drinking
water, but e. water reservoir will keep
water cool enough n il may be turned
from h faucet into a glass or water
pitcher at any time. IN arranging these
things II il just as easy to have them
right and convenient as to put up with
any kind If haphazard arrangement.