The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-03-03
ICE A FARM NECESSITY.
Profit for the Dairyman and Comfort
for the Household.

The icehouse is fast being recognized
as one of the indispensable features il
modern farming, writes Claude D. Nor
re- in the New York Tribune Farmer
The cost of construction is not serious
factor in the reckoning, as equipment
for keeping ice Satisfactorily ranges
from the very inexpensive to that cost
ing hundreds of dollars. The writer ha.
seen an icehouse constructed by setting
chestnut posts l6 feet in length tive
| feet In the ground and four apart form
! ing skeleton building II feet square
! planked up on the inside of the posts
! To prevent the sides from spreading
apart the posts were tied with cross
| wires at the top, and there was no root
on the structure. When filling. the lee
was well packed, leaving Is inches OF
| space between the ice and sides of the
structure, that space being filed with
sawdust packed in firm and the ice coy.
cred with like quantity of sawdust.
This method for housing ice was un.
der observation for 10 years, the dairy
man making the statement that waste
OF ice did not exceed Is per cent for
any year, and that each tier of ice came
ont in. about as good condition as
when, 1t was put in. This kind of a
structure is no ornament We mention
1T to call attention to principle in
housing ice that should not be over.
oked-namely the proper ventilation
OF the icehouse, keeping the ice from
coming in contact with the air, and by
beng careful not to smother it by too
close housing.
The better class of icehouses are con.
structed by covering the outside of the
studdlng with heavy building paper
and tight-ftting cla boards, ceiling on
the inside with inch-thick plain, second
grade lumber. and putting on singled
roof. Too often there is not enou oh
ventilation provided. The gable ends
of the house should be left open. allow
ing free circulation of air between the
covered ice and the roof. The uses for
Ice ON the farm are no longer in fine
class of Injuries, but, on the other hand
ice is necessity. A dairyman cannot
properly and economically cool and hold
milk in the dairy until time for deliy.
cry to the market without the aid of
Rapid cooling Of freshly drawn mill
greatly increases it's KEEPING malt ;ns
and maintains its normal odor and "A.
vor This, of course, means production
under clean methods and the milk kent
IN closed containers. After a careful
study OF the question we observe that to
obtain the best results from the nsa of
ice IN the dairy the cooling vat should
be provided with cover. The obiee,
IS to keep the circulating air awav from
the, water and ice, as it eats up the ice
and tends to warm the water also, n
is also necessary to put a sufficient
quantity of ice in the vat to hold over
from day to day, not allowing the ice
10 get out of the vat, so TO sneak
This keens the water ice cold At ali
times, and thus less is required TO hold
the water at that Temperature. When
warm milk is put into the vat il cools
quickly, as the ice has only milk to chill
instead of water. The day has passed
Tor producing market milk without tba
use of ice. Ice for dairy uses is n ne.
eessity. Cold springs and wells are M
longer to be depended upon, as has been
obvious during the last two or three
dry summers. when so large a percent.
age, of these have failed to meet even
needs of this kind.
Other uses for ice on the farm inclnde
the keeping of milk, butter and meats
eggs and fruits for domestic use. The
housewife would appreciate this feat.
nre; as it would afford a luxury-if we
wish to call it so-and meet the needs
Of real necessity. eu'