Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-09
A Poor. Year For Ice
BY Frederic J. Haskin

Washington, ID. G, Feb. 9.-The
chances for a good crop of natural ice
this winter are slim, and the chances
for an ice shortage next summer are
correspondingly good.
The winter is mild in most sections,
and comparatively little ice has been
harvested so far.
This may not seem to affect the city
dwcller. who knows that the ice in his
glass never grew in a pond. But it.
does affect him. because this country is
more dependent upon natural ice than
most of us imagine Two-thirds of
tho cities now make their own ice. Yet
Of the As 100000 tons of ice used in
year nearly half is natural ice. So,
even while the cities are rejecting
comfortably that their ice supply is
not dependent on natures whims, their
supply of meat butter, fish. milk, and
other foods may he hit in price, guam
tity. and quality by poor crop in the
ice belt.
People are relying on ice more and
more. and for all sorts of purposes.
Ever increasing quantities are con-
sumed for storing perishablc foods, Tor
cooling purposes in bleaching and dye
ing establishments, munitions works
glue factories. sausage making plants,
theatres. and morgues. Textiles ana
furniture are put in cold storage. or
fee buildings have their temperatures
reduced to a comfortable figure In not
weather by refrigeratinG machinery,
The air in hospitals is artificially cooled
In cases of fever and tropical diseases.
Hotels are such voracious consumers of
ice that the largest have their own
plants. and all the others are big pur-
Chasers
But all the possibilities of refrlgcra-
ton are not exhausted, for new uses
are now and then discovered. \ ST.
Louis man recently gave some thought
to the demand for summer fruits in cold
wea ather and the high prices they com
mand in hotels and fruit stores, and he
came to the conclusion that il would he
4 good thing if some of the pCrishable
kinds could be kept in cold storage. lie
tried his scheme with Strawberries and
cherries. storing them at a temperature
10 degrees above zero. After eight
months the fruit was taken out. soaked
In ice water TO take the frost out and
was used in ice cream, pies. and short
cake. II IS said 10 have been full
favored with a much more natural
taste than canned fruits.
Frozen Fruits.
After more experiments with tonl4-
toes, plums. and berries Of various
kinds. he was convinced of the practi-
cabrity Of storing perishao!e fruit
One large baker. he says. now has 500
| 600 worth OF cherries stored in his plant
and draws them out during the winter
| for fresh cherry pies
| Commercial use Of ice for storage
| constitutes regular. enormous de-
mand on the ice supply. Use Of ice in
! individual homes is more uncertain.
Last year. a moderately cool summer
snd high prices kept town home con
sumption 10 an extent that was keenly
felt by ice dealers.
Nobody knows what next summer
Will be. but wea; ;hcr sharks around who
like to put two and two together are
saying, "a mild winter hot summer.
If we are in for q hot summer one
kind Of food viii surely be affected by
a low supply 81 natural ice. That Is
milk and other dairy products.
The Government has been trying 70
| impress on dairy farmers the necessity
Of using ice in hot weather TO keep
milk cool enough so bacteria viii not
/ increase and turn the milk sour. Many
dairy farmers say they are too far from
| dealers in ice TO be able 10 buy any.
/ BY the time the ice is shipped on the