354 THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



of the sun's heat ; and being sunk at a sufficient height above the 

 base, allows of perfect drainage. An arched passage issues from 

 under the crown of the arch of the house to the open air, both this 

 and the house being covered with four or five feet of earth, and 

 usually planted with evergreen shrubs. This passage has an outer 

 door on hinges, and two inner doors, one about the middle of the 

 passage, and the other close to the body of ice, when the house is full. 



These latter are not on hinges, but composed of narrow parts 

 which drop in a groove in the posts on each side. This construction 

 is necessary to save the labour of removing all the straw in the pas- 

 sage every time the house is entered. 



Ice-houses may be formed on the surface of the ground, when 

 there is no convenient bank to sink into ; and if they be sufficiently 

 air-tight will preserve ice as well as if sunk in the ground. They 

 may be built in the shape of a dome, either of stone or brickwork ; 

 a passage and door opens to the northward ; the whole is then 

 covered thickly with earth, and planted, or very thickly thatched, 

 with straw or reeds. 



Or, if a large cone of snow or pounded ice be got together in 

 winter, and covered with a good coat of any kind of dry litter, and 

 afterwards well thatched to prevent rain sinking into it, it will keep 

 for eight or ten months. 



Filling the Ice-house. — This is usually performed in one day, 

 if possible ; and the first favourable opportunity is seized, that is, 

 when plenty of ice may be had for the purpose. It is broken on the 

 pools, and drawn out with iron hooks or rakes, and carted to the ice- 

 house. The latter is prepared to receive it by laying a foundation of 

 straw over the grating of the well, and by setting a rank of half 

 trusses of wheat straw round the wall, as the ice keeps much better, 

 surrounded with a lining of straw, than if it lies close to the wall. 

 There is, or should be to every ice-house, a paved platform walled 

 round in front of the door ; into this the ice is first thrown, and 

 broken into small pieces by heavy clubs or beaters. As broken, it is 

 thrown into the passage with shovels, and from thence into the house, 

 where two men with rammers level and tread it together as firmly as 

 possible. When as much is got in as to be nearly as high as the 

 first rank of straw, another rank is put round, and then more ice, 

 and so on, till the house is full, and there is no longer headroom for 

 the men to work. The space over the ice is next filled compactly 

 with trusses of straw, as well as the passage outwards to the outer 

 door, which finishes the work. It is to be observed, that when an 

 ice-house is to be filled, the quicker it is done the better. A good 

 many bands are required, because the more it is pounded the firmer 

 it congeals iu the house, and the better it keeps. Some advise salt 

 to be added to the body of ice to assist congelation ; nothing can be 

 more absurd, as it has a directly contrary effect. 



Water is also advised to be used in packing the ice ; but this also 

 is unnecessary, except only when a house is filled with snow in a dry 

 powdery state, a little water may be added to make it knead. Snow 

 is a good substitute when ice cannot be had ; for this after being 

 housed soon becomes a body of ice. However well constructed the 





