The Spectator., 1915-10-12

ment of Agrculture.)
 The dairy division of the United States department of agriculture has been investigating the different types of icehouses in use by dairymen. and has studied the advantages of each type. Only a small number of the icehouses examined by the depart ment's specialists were built of new lumber.
 In many instances ice was stored in the cellar under the house or barn, or in the corner of some building, such as a woodshed, corncrib, or barn, or under the driveway leading to the barn. and occasionally 1t was simply stacked outdoors with no roof for pro- tection. Where the ice was stored in cellars. open sheds or in stacks. the loss from melting was comparatively large, depending on the ventilation, drainage and care in packing. Where the cost of harvesting ice is a small item, dairymen often say that it is less expensive to store in such places than to go to the expense of building an up-to-date icehouse. Where ice is stacked outdoors and covered with some form of insulation, it is neces- sary to put up from 30 to 50 per cent more than the amount previously all lowed, so as to provide for the heavy shrinkage.
 The ice should be stored as near the milkhouse as possible, in order to save labor in removing it to the milk tank. A great many dairymen find 1t an advantage to have the milk room in one end of the icehouse. In this way the cost of a separate tankhouse is eliminated. The small amount of time and labor required to transfer the ice to the cooling tank generally Az = ( a .adoed incentive for the free use of ice. It is highly impor- tant that the milk room. whether com bined with the icehouse or standing alone, be located so that objection able odors will be avoided.
 In comparing the different methods of storing ice, it was found that where tho cost of ice was comparatively
  money in building and insulating the icehouse to protect the ice from melt ing as much as possible. but in cases where the cost of the ice was small it appeared that the owners were often justified in building cheaper stor- age with a relatively high loss of ice from meltage. The dairyman there fore should consider both the cost of construction and the cost of the ice in selecting the type most suita- ble for his requirements.
 Some farmers store their ice in roughly constructed bins. One of this sort was seen. made by placing large posts of irregular sizes three feet in the ground and about four feet apart. and upon these were nailed miscella- ncous lot of boards; no roof was pro- vided The shrinkage was reported from 30 to 50 per cent. Ice might be stored in this manner for some pur- poses, but this method Is not recom- mended for dairy farm. Further more bin of this sort is very un- slightly and is an indication of slack methods in farming. Where ice is cheap and building material high. it might be permissible as temporary arrangement; but it is not so eco nomical a method as may appear at first sight, for the cost of the ice lost in the shrinkage would generally amount to more than the interest on tho cost of constructing a serviceable icelrouse
 An instance was observed in which a corner of woodshed about twelve feet square and ten feet high, had been converted into an ice shed. This corner of the woodshed had been roughly boarded up and about 14 inches Of sawdust placed around the ice on all sides. top. and bottom. The cost of the building was very little. and the shrinkage was reported at abont 20 DOT cent. The owner stated that softwood sawdust is a much bet ter insulation than hardwood saw duet.
 The icehouse ir the illustration measures l5 by 20 feet on the out side and s feet high. At the front or south end room 15 by 6 feet is partitioncd on and used for a milk room. The remaining space. l5 by i4 feet by feet high. after allowing for G inches of wall, 12 inches Of sawdust on the sides, 12 inches on tho bottom, and Is inches on tho top. will provide space TOT about r tons of ice. This house is built on high, slo2ing ground, where tho soil is porous, consequently the drainage is satisfactory. The founda- ticn ia rado of concrete (mixture l to 6), IF fret wide at tho bottom and slopipg gradually until the top meas ures $ inches. Tho sills which rest