300 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



nal, but has been used in days of "auld lang syne," "down 

 in old Virginia," and proved to be a good thing, they need 

 not be afraid of the expense. 



Select a spot upon rising ground where the surface 

 water will run off, and strike a circle 12 feet across and 

 set a circle of strong stakes about 5 feet high and one 

 foot apart — saw off the upper ends even and square — set 

 another circle of stakes 4 feet distant all round, the same 

 height, but they need not be quite so close to one another 

 — leave a space on one side about two feet wide for a 

 door way and set stakes or nail boards on each side so 

 as to make a passage to the inside space — put strips 

 across the inside space from the tops of the stakes, suffi- 

 ciently strong to hold up a stack of hay. 



Now take prairie hay, or some of the superabundant 

 straw that all western farmers waste or burn up, "to get 

 it out of the way," and tramp the space between the 

 stakes full and as tight as possible, taking care to raise 

 it a foot or two above the top of the stakes, then make 

 a complete round stack that will shed water, tapered from 

 the outside stakes to the centre. To make a ventilation, 

 nail 4 boards about 5 or 6 inches wide together; let two 

 of them be one foot the longest, and set this box up as a 

 stack pole, and nail a cap on the top of the two long 

 pieces. If this give too much ventilation stuff straw in 

 one end. Hang two tight doors, made to shut upon 

 woolen listing. 



This "hay stack ice house," that any farmer can make 

 in two days will keep ice two years. Of course the size 

 may be varied. The ice should not be laid upon the 

 ground, but upon some rails covered with straw — or a 

 bed of straw would be better — a slight ditch should be 

 dug around outside to drain off the water that drips 

 down. With slight repairs it will last years. 



Now, besides being a good ice house, it would make one 

 of the cheapest and best winter store houses for turnips 

 &c, convenient to the cattle yard, that can be contrived 

 when the soil will not admit of making cellars under our 



