Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1914-12-18


prepared by the United States Depart
ment of AgricultureI
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 ag- |
riculture in a 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. /. The essential feature Is
well-insulated room containing an ice
rack drip pan and drain This refrig-
orator is by 10 feet and has a floor
space by s feet available for the
storage of produce.
Such an arrangement will require
about 100 tons of ice during the year,
but 1t 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 localt-
ties where distributing wagons are
not run. and even where a 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 single
season through the advance secured
by holding the egg output for only SO
days. Dealers purchase and store
eggs while they are most abundant
and dispose of them during the sea
son OF less abundant production at ar
advanced price. well-constructeC
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 less expensive cooler Il
desired an ice chest viii be found t
oh
can be made from two boxes. one l.
inches longer and wider than tn
other and G inches deeper. II tn
inner box is feet wide. ? feet dee
and 8 feet long. the outer box shoul'
be 3 feet wide. feet long and 8
inches deep The inner box. whici
should be made of matched white pin
or cypress. should be lined with Yin
and provided with a drip pipe in tn
bottom near one end and a metal gra
ing Y inches from that end SO as I
make a cage in which to store bloc
or ice A layer of inches OF cor
dust or dry white pine shavings shoul
be placed in the bottom of the large
hox after it has been lined with waite
nroof building paper Place the smallt
box on the layer of Insulation maxim
provision for the drain, and the
rack the same insulating materii
tightly in the space between the ontC
and the inner box Fit board oy'
the packing between the boxes SO /
to cover the edge of both. Then hins
= thick. well-insulated cover to the 2
tire top OF the chest. The joints
be made tight by weather strips al
felt The cover should be provid,
with counter weight and good ic
chest hasp to hold IT in place.
How to Make Ice.
Where there are no ice ponds bio
Ice can be made easily b. ailowil
water to freeze In cans of heavy q
yanized iron provided with hea
band-iron or wire re-enforceme
around the top. Amy tinsmith G
make such cans
The cans should be Of the dime
sions of a standard cake of ice: I'll
is. % inches square at the top. [
bottom being somewhat smaller so
Go make the sides Of the can Sigh
naring. and the depth to be p or
inches as desired. AS soon as settl
cold weather comes arrange the ca
on a level plat of ground or on le'
nIatform near the we'll OF other va
supuIy FIJI The u ans with eIeaf ire
water. and when a sufficient thickn'
Of ice has formed TO permit them 20
! turned over. even II the shell Of
"a NOT more than y or inches thi
......x - two of hrfHuu Wa