Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1914-12-25

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture)
The cost of constructing a refrig-
orator or an ice chest is small In COM
parison with economic returns and the
comfort they offer the farmer. They
are even of greater Importance in the
country than in the city, although
many of our rural population do not
avail themselves of the opportunity to
enjoy the luxury of ice.
The United States department of az
riculture in farmers bulletin mo.
475) on ice Houses" outlines the
manner of construction of farm re-
frigerator large enough to meet the
requirements Of well-equipped farm
for the storage of butter, eggs and
fresh meats and for chilling fruit in
small quantities.
This refrigerator can be constructed
in a cellar, in the lean-to Of an ice
house, or in any other farm building
where convenient and suitable protec-
ton can be provided. If none Of these
alternatives is possible the refrigera-
tor may be constructed as an indie
pendent building. If built as sepa-
rate structure the same care in the
choice of site should be exercised as
in choosing the location of an icehouse.
The construction is shown in detail
in Fig. l. The essential feature is a
well-insulated room containing an ice
rack, drip pan and drain. This refrig-
orator is s by 10 feet and has a floor
space by 8 feet available for the
storage Of produce.
Such an arrangement will require
about 100 tons of ice during the year,
but it can be used to hold eggs and
butter over the season of abundant
production. A supply of fresh meat
can be kept by such means in local.
ties where distributing wagons are
not run, and even where local sup
ply Is available the producer can ar
range to supply his table at wholesale
rather than retail prices by killing his
own sheep, pigs or veal Instances are
known where an equipment of this
sort has paid for itself in a single
season through the advance secured
by holding the egg output for only GO
days Dealers purchase and store
eggs while they are most abundant
and dispose Of them during the sea
son of less abundant production at an
advanced price. A well-constructed
and well-handled refrigerator Of this
kind on the farm will enable the pro
Queer to keep this profit at home.
Construction of Ice Chest.
Where a less expensive cooler is
desired an ice chest will be found tc
serve useful purpose. Such chest
can be made from two boxes, one Il
inches longer and wider than the
other and 6 inches deeper. If the
inner box Is feet wide, 2 feet deer
and 8 feet long, the outer box should
be feet wide, feet long and 81
inches deep. The inner box. which
should lie made of matched white pine
or cypress, should be lined with zint
and provided with drip pipe in th'
bottom near one end and a metal graf
ing IL inches from that end, so as tt
make a cage in which to store a blocl
of ice. A layer of inches Of corl
dust or dry white pine shavings shoul'
be placed insthe bottom of the large
box after 1t has been lined with water
proof building paper Place the smalle
box on the layer of insulation, makin
provision for the drain, and the
pack the same insulating materia
tightly in the space between the cute
and the inner box. Fit a board owe
the packing between the boxes so a
to cover the edge of both Then hing
a thick, well-insulated cover to the ell
tire top of the chest. The joints ca
be made tight by weather strips an
felt The cover should be provide
with counter weight and good ic
chest hasp to hold it in place.
How to Make Ice.
Where there are no ice ponds bloc
ice can be made easily by allowir
water to freeze In cans of heavy ga
vanized iron provided with a heay
band-iron or wire re-enforcemel
around the top. Any tinsmith ca
make such cans.
The cans should be Of the dime