The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-09

Washington, D. c. Feb. S.-Ihs
chances for = 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 Sec
tioas. and comparatively little ice
has been harvested 80 far.
This may hot seem. to Affect the
city dwellef. Who knows that the
ice In his glass never grew in .
pond. But it does affect him; be-
cause this country is more depend
ent upon natural ice than most OF
US imagine. Two-thirds OF the cit
ies now make their own ice. Yet
Of the 4sye0e. 100 tons. of ice used in
. year, nearly half Is natural ice.
So. even while the cities are re-
necting comfortably that their lee
supply is not dependent ON ma
lures whims. their. supply Of meat.
butter. fish, milk and other foods
may be hit in price, quantity and
qualify BY . poor crop in the ice
belt.
People are relying on ice more
and more, and for all sorts OF pur-
poses. Ever increasing quantities
are consumed for storing perish
able foods. for cooling purposes IN
bleaching and dyeing establish
ments, munitions works, glue fac
tories. sausage making plants, the
aires, and morgues. Textiles and
furniture are put in cold storage.
Once buildings have their temper
atures reduced to . comfortable 6g-
ure in. hot weather BY refrigerat-
ing machinery. The ar in hospi-
tals is artfdcially cooled in cases
of fever and tropical diseases. Ho-
tells are such voracious consumers
Of ice that the largest have their
own plants, and all the others are
big purchasers.
But all the possibilities OF re-
frigeration are not exhausted. for
new uses are now. and then dis
covered. A st. Louis man recently
gave some thought to the demand
for summer fruits in cold weather
and the high prices they command
in hotels and fruit stores, and he
came to the conclusion It would be
good thing IL some Of the perish
able kinds could be kept in cold
storage. He tried his scheme with
strawberries and cherries, storing
them at . temperature 10 degrees
above zero. After eight months the
fruit was taken ont, soaked in ice
water to take the frost out, and
was used in ice cream, pies and
shortcake. 1t is said to have been
full favored with a much more
natural taste than canned fruits.
Frozen Fruits.
After more experiments with to-
matoes. plums and berries Of var
ious kinds, he was convinced Of the
praeticability Of storing perishable
fruit. One large baker, he saws.
now has 10000 worth OF cherries
stored in his plant and draws them
out during the winter for fresh
cherry pies.
Commercial use of ice for stor-
age constitutes a regular, enormous |
demand on the ice supply. Use Of |
Ice in individual homes is more un-
certain. Last year, moderately |
cool summer and high prices kent
down home consumption to an ex-
tent that was keenly felt by ice
dealers.
Nobody knows what next sum- |
mer will be, but weather sharks !
around here who like to put two |
and two together are saying. "a1
mild winter, hot summer"
II We are in for a hot summer,
one kind Of food will surely be az
lected by a low supply Of natural |
ice. That is milk and other dairy
products.
The government has been trying
% impress on dairy farmers the
necessity Of using ice in hot wealth
n to keep milk cool enough. so
will not increase and turn
he milk sour. Many dairyfarm-