270 GATHERING, MARKETING, AND FKUIT-EOOMS. 



wall, though this is not necessary, unless the entire body of ice is 

 so compact and frozen together as to prevent the air from circulat- 

 ing through it. The floor, under the ice, descends to the right 

 from /j so as to carry any waste water out at o. There is an 

 ingenious arrangement in the waste-pipe to prevent the access of 

 air or vermin. It will readily be seen, that before the water rises 

 high enough to overflow the right prcjection, or gate, the upper or 

 left-hand gate dips down into it, so that the opening is always 

 closed with water. 



The air around and among the ice will always be kept cool. It 

 will, consequently, settle downward, and flow along under the 

 division- wall, cZ, and into the lower part of the fruit-room. At the 

 same time, the warmer air will flow into the ice-room through the 

 opening over the division-wall. The arrows show the direction 

 of the currents of air. This motion will always be kept up so 

 long as the air in the fruit-room is in the slightest degree warmer 

 than that in the ice-room. We see, then, that by such an arrange- 

 ment the fruit-room is practically kept nearly as cool as if actually 

 filled with ice. 



There is another important end secured by this arrangement, 

 viz.. that the air in the fruit-room is kept very dry, or free from 

 moisture. The air always contains more or less of invisible water 

 floating in it. The amount of water in the air depends upon its 

 temperature. The warmer air of the fruit-room takes up moist- 

 ure from the articles there ; but when it passes over to the ice, 

 being there cooled, it gives up a portion of this moisture to the ice, 

 flows back below in a drier condition, to take up more moisture as 

 it is warmed again. This change goes on unceasingly. 



At e is seen the entrance to the store-room, in which may be 

 kept all kinds of food, vegetables, fruit, &c. Should the air need 

 changing at any tims, to get rid of odors, it is done thus : Just 

 under the ceiling is seen a flat slide. Moving this to the left, two 

 holes through it will be brought under the two ventilators, one 

 leading into the open air above, the other into the garret. When 

 this is done, the fresh air from the garret will settle into the ice- 

 room, while the warm air in the 

 the larger ventilator, and pass ofl". 



