New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-09

rARLY spring is the season when
II the thoughts OF every careful
- housewife turn toward refrig-
,.o,s Fer does she not know that
s,,.s are soon coming when the baby's
~gk will not keep unless put on ice,
n.h.r nothing will taste just right un-
Ice il comes chilled out of the ice
hest. and when the only thing that
.,r keep the family spirits at level
>. rood cheer-and good temper--is
oitcher of some iced beverage?
a The purpose of this article is to
y ,o;n, out a few of the features that a
,,.rigerator must have in order to give
satisfaction.
In no other single article OF house
hold convenience and utility is there
such a range in quality and price as in
,frigerators. They vary from close,
damp chests which furnish breeding
4 Mace for multitudes of bacteria to dry
n iood chambers of wonderful efficiency
which really constitute health pro-
,.ctive force the year through.
Il is 4 very short-sighted economy
10 buy a cheap refrigerator. One
might 90 a step further and say that
orly an uniformed or non-progres-
siv. housekeeper would buy refrig-
4 orator without finding out something
about the principle on which it is con-
I structed.
The first thing TO know is how the
i CIRCULATION of air in the refrigerator
IS obtained A refrigerator in which
| TIE air becomes stagnant, either be-
cause Of faulty construction or because
the circulation is blocked, quickly be-
Genes damp. 1t "sweats"; it accunu-
lates odors, and food placed in it will
not keep we'll. Only by we'll estab-
3hshed and vigorous circulation can
i refrigerator refrigerate No othe sim
! gle fact about a refrigerator is so i'm
/ rortant as the circulation system.
Circulation depends upon the we'll
known fact that warm air rises and
cold air tends to sink, or, to put it an
other way, upon the fact that cold air
is heavier than warm.
What Promotes Circulation.
Here are some of the things in re-
frieerator construction essential to a
Fl good circulation:
Il There should be an opening at the
bottom OF the ice compartment,
through which cold air may pass into
81 the compartment below. There should
Fl be cleats or guards at both sides OF
H the ice chamber, SO that the ice may
Il be kept from direct contact with the
4 sides OF the refrigerator and tina:
there may be an air space on either
side to further promote circulation.
This should be the case whether the
refrigerator is of the tall, narrow type,
known as the apartment house type,
or whether it is Of double construc-
ton--that is, having the ice compart-
ment in one upper section and having
the other half of the upper section and
!, all the lower part for food chambers.
IL If the chest has side oompart-
ment for ice there should be an open
ing at the top Of this compartment
between it and the provision compart-
4 ment on the opposite side.
How Circulation is Maintained.
. In a refrigerator constructed as
mentioned the circulation will be
! maintained in the following manner:
Ar in contact with the ice, becoming
chilled and consequently heavier, will
sink down through the opening at the
4 bottom of the ice compartment.
4 Gradually it will pass to the bottom
! OF the food compartment underneath,
pushing aside the warmer air. AT the
bottom there will be an intermingling
Il and the warmer air will ascend.
Il 1t will not go back in the trail o.
y The descending cold current. however,
but at one side. 1t finally will reach
the top OF the chest, and if there is the
necessary opening at the sides OF the
ice compartment the warm air at last
will return to the place from which It
started as the cold units keep descend
ing. Then the warmed air will be-
come chilled again and take the same
trip again.
In each journey through the retrig-
orator the air gives some Of its cold
ness to the food and gathers hea.
Aunits, so 10 speak, from the food. So
- is changing constantly in tempera-
ture, and il is this change that main
tains the circulation.
How to Pack Food.
The housewife who possesses a re-
uigerator so constructed as TO furnish
adequate circulation should see to it
mat this circulation &c maintained.