The Canadian Horticulturist. 



13 



out ice, and as the supply is lowered a ladder becomes necessary. Fig. 883 

 shows such a pit. 



If water stands near the surface of the ground, admitting of a possibility of 

 its rising in the pit, the safest way is to build the house entirely above ground, 

 taking the precautions outlined above as to location, drainage and ventilation. 

 A floor is not absolutely necessary, although desirable. A cheap shed with 

 rough posts, carefully double boarded and the air space filled with sawdust or 

 chaff, will be better than nothing, and if a straw stack or heap of corn stalks 



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PLAN 



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Jmy rt^irrmtnt /•iaix l(Jir ;/oUe rnt/x orr Met) ■ 

 UnrrM wtft K/M *f Iht rtrt nfdit t—vt o/ltT 

 - lilt trr IS pat iir 



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Fig. 885. — Sectional Plan of Model Ice House. 



could be built over it, such an affair would keep ice fairly well. But thrifty 

 farmers believe in building a durable ice house that will last. The common 

 type is shown in Fig 886. A six-inch dead-air space is not sufficient, even if 

 the outer boards are matched and the inner square-edged, with tarred paper 

 underneath both. Some think the paper is hardly necessary under the inside 

 boards if they are matched, but square-edged boards may be used oji both sides 

 with paper on both sides of studding. Fig. 8^4 shows a plan submitted by the 

 Knickerbocker Ice Co. of New York (one of the largest and most experienced 

 firms in the ice trade), which they say embodies " all of the essential particulars 

 necessary for a perfect ice house, unless it be deemed desirable to put in a 

 ventilator to carry off the heated air radiating from the roof in midday." This 

 would be much improved by having the inner wall slant inward (Fig. 887), the 

 drippings from the ice thus falling away from the sides and not rotting the boards. 

 Ice men are also using a double air space, the inner one filled with sawdust 

 the outer not filled, and four or six inches studding used for it. The idea is 



that this outer wall still further excludes 

 heat from the inner filled space. In such 

 cases an eight or ten-inch board is left 

 off at top and bottom of the house inside 

 to permit a circulation of air. This 

 idea is carried still further in the Ger- 

 rish plan where there is a six-inch wall 

 outside with no filling, then a 24 inch 

 space filled with planer shavings or hay, 

 then an eight-inch dead-air space. This 

 makes a veritable refrigerator, and while 

 more expensive than the ordinary farmer 



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Fig. 886. 



Common Ice House. 



