354 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



HOW TO BUILD AN ICE-HOUSE. 



Eds. Country Gentleman. — I use about fifty tons of ice per annum, and have on 

 the place that 1 have recently purchased the remains of an old ice house that I wish to 

 utilize. The hole in ground is 12 ft. deep and about 10 ft. square, but the old wooden 

 lining and roof have decayed. In rebuilding, I should like to know, first, whether this is 

 large enough to hold fifty tons, and if not, what size is necessary. 



2. Whether wooden lining backed with sawdust when under ground is fairly durable, 

 or whether in long run it would pay better to build of brick. 



3. Whether bottom has to be drained and if so, how ? If you can give me the above 

 information or inform me where I can get a book containing it, I should be much obliged. 



Flushing, L. I. D. L. R. D. 



,S ice is one-tenth less in weight than water and as, when packed 

 in an ice-house as close as possible, there is some space lost 

 between the blocks, it is safe to estimate the measure of it at 

 fifty cubic feet to the ton. Thus for fifty tons the house should 

 have 2500 cubic feet space for the ice, not counting the spaces 

 around it for the sawdust or other protective covering needed. 

 Thus it will be necessary to increase the size of the excavation to fifteen feet 

 each way, whrch will give room fot the ice and some to spare for the walls 

 of the building and the packing. 



Lining of wood under ground will be quickly rotted by the continual 

 moisture and the oxidizing effect of the porous earth, something seldom esti- 

 mated for such buildings as this Brick or stone should be used if at all 

 possible. • 



The bottom must be dry ; this is indispensable for the keeping of the ice. 

 If the soil is sandy or gravelly, no special drainage will be necessary, and unless 

 surface water is apt to flow into the cellar, the subsoil water will drain away 

 through the soil with suf^cient rapidity to avoid damage to the ice. Otherwise 

 there should be a drain laid under the wall all around the building to cut off 

 the water. This drain should be of three-inch tiles, and as well as cutting off 

 the soil water, it will carry off that which collects from the melting of the ice, 

 which it will be safe to provide for. 



Some useful information will be gained from the volumes of Rural Affairs^ 

 in which has been collected in easily available form, a large amount of practical 

 information of daily use to rural residents in all walks of life, including the 

 construction of ice-houses. It may be added that if the walls of an ice-house 

 are of brick or stone, there should be a wooden lining inside, leaving an air 

 space of six inches ; or this may be filled in with sawdust, in which case no 

 sawdust will be needed about the ice except on the top of it, and under it, as 

 the walls will be sufficiently non-conductive of heat to preserve the ice during 

 the summer. Otherwise at least six inches of dry sawdust, or tan-bark, or 

 other porous matter as dry leaves well packed down, or the chaff from the 

 clover threshing which is excellent, or as a last resort, finely cut straw or wheat 



