The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-24
IS 1 ICE CREAM TOWN About 1922 Gallons Shipped
 Out Daily INDUSTRY IS GROWING One Plant Here Has Capacity of 80 Gallons an Hour-The Water
 melon Season Causes Slump
By LILY w. LIKES

That the pastry cone has done more than any other material agent to popularize Ice cream; that rainy weather and water melons are the principal competitors of the trade; that the enormous consumption of the frozen delicacy in Birmingham IS attributed to the taste of feminine cpl cures; that the average daily output in the Birmingham district and shipped to surrounding towns within radius Of 100 miles is 1922 gallons, that 50 per cent of this is favored with vanilla and that ice less ice cream is manufactured In this city are but general facts concerning the ice cream industry here.
 ,9The wholesale manufacturers supply the suburban, family restaurant and smaller retailers, but the majority of the down. town soda founts and confectionery par lors freeze their own product Cones pressed and baked simultaneously are made in Birmingham and because of their handiness of manipulation. they have placed ice cream in the hands of every person with the nickel.
 A glance in tho sales book Of the wholesaler will show almost to the hour he rainy days of the season, by the iluc- tuations downward of the sales. Septem- Der has been one of the best months or this year because of the return to the city of many who leave early, the ex- tfemely warm weather and opening of the Theatres. The cream is In demand all year round at many places and especially the fancy moulds and orders for social functions, but the busiest period opens in May, which is usually a very profitable month. AS the fruits and watermelons, particularly, begin to mature and flood the market, the slump in ice cream partially becomes very apparent, condition most noticeable in the rural districts.
 The milk and cream used are shipped from dairies in Illinois, Tennessee and ad- ,aiping states, while the entire daily out paf of the government experimental sta ton in Mississippi Is used by one firm alone in this city. The dairies of this dis trict are taxed to their capacities at times yet hundreds of gallons of milk were poured into the sewers during July and August because the rainy weather inter- fered with the sale of ice cream.
 The wholesale houses draw up annual contracts with dairies to supply them. Each manufacturer introduces a different Ice cream powder Into his product and these are used in small quantities to pre- vent the formation of ice in the milk.
 In the making of icehss cream, ammo mia gas and machinery do the work through a refrigerating plant. The capac- ity of the largest in the city is 30 gallons an hour. The brine method, a solution of ice and salt, continually washing hori- zontal cylinders, turned by electricity, is universally U used here.
 2l3irmingham's first ice cream soda was introduced 30 years ago and the flavor of vanilla springing into vogue at that time has remained popular ever since, mainly because it forms the basis for the modern .Sundaes and other fluffy dishes of the fount. ., That ice cream is adaptable to endurance tests has been proven by the habits of a certain party of young men who frequently visit this city. Whenever they are in town these men go to a well known local retail and wholesale store and consume saucer of every flavor on hand every day at the same hour, keeping this up for several weeks at the time and often eating three and four saucers at | 7k sitting.
 fashe inspection of soda founts and Ice cream plants is rtgidly enforced by. ;he authorities, making Birmingham above the average city in this respect.
 Each season witnesses the increase of business in this line that characterizes other industries and new manufacturers entering the field.