1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



617 



dairy which keeps milk pretty well, this was ne- 

 ver done; and the whole pit containing upwards 

 ot" 1500 cubic. IctM, has been used lor ice. 



Above <xrouud, u|)on ihe brick work, there is 

 a frame house 24 leet, by 16 lect and 6 or 6 Icet 

 pilch. I'liis house is liut hall" boxed, and the air 

 is Ireely admiited between the main and false 

 plates. There is an upper floor laid on the joisis, 

 except a space about 2 leet by 6 in the centre. 

 Directly over this space there is an aperture 6 

 leet by 6 or 8 inches, in the ridge of the roof, 

 over which aperture there is a bonnet to keep the 

 rain out. The sides and the ends from the aper- 

 ture in the floor, to that in the roolj are planked, 

 so as to prevent any opening between the loft and 

 this centre ventilator. By these contrivances, the 

 loft is kept slowed full of straw to produce more 

 than the coolness of a thatched rootj and yet the 

 air has an uninterrupted passage in at the eaves, 

 and out at the ridge. There are a few narrow 

 strips of plank nailed a foot apart on the innersides 

 of the studs — and the space between Ihe weather- 

 boarding and the strips is also filled with straw. 



On the south side of this house there are trees, 

 which break the rays of the mid-day sun from 

 the roof. The body of the house is kept white 

 and sometimes the roof. 



When first used, the space between the bricks 

 and planks was kept clear; with the idea that 

 the air would prevent the damp from the earth 

 and bricks going to the planks — but experience 

 has fully proved in this latitude, that from the last 

 of February the air should be kept as far from 

 your mass of ice as possible. For several years 

 this space has been kept well filled with dry 

 straw. We have ice in this house, at this time, 

 and since it has been packed in the manner now 

 pursued, it has not oeen unusual to have ice, till 

 ice has again returned. 



The mode of putting the ice up, is considered 

 very material, and is as tbilows. The space be- 

 tween the bricks and planks is examined, and 

 seen to be well packed wuh dry straw — the plank 

 pit is made perfectly clean. The ice is brought 



in as large cakes as can be conveniently handled, I verized, or ground into fine meal, vvi 

 and in as regular sq,uares or oblongs, as they can i not far short of a bushel and a ha 



be conveniently cut and broken by the eye and 

 axe. These cakes are laid upon the naked plank 

 floor of the pit, leaving as small joints and cre- 

 vices between as possible. A trough or old canoe 

 is placed near the door of the house — into this 

 the small pieces and broken bits are put and pul- 

 verised quite fine, and the crevices between the 

 layer of cakes is well filled with it; the surface 

 of the cakes being kept clean. — A second layer 

 of cakes is than laid down, and the crevices 

 filled as belbre — and this simple method is conti- 

 nued till the pit is full. A very little care will 

 keep the surlace of each layer level, and the 

 whole will go in as solid as a piece of stone-ma- 

 son's work. 



No straw is put on the floor under the ice; be- 

 cause experience has proved it is not necessary, 

 and because if it should become wet, and need to 

 be removed ever so much, it cannot be got at. Nor 

 is there any put between the side planks of the 

 pit and the ice at the time of packing, because it 

 is not then necessary, nor can it be well done at 

 that lime. — With all possible care the straw will 

 mix with the ice and be put in irregularly. — 

 Whereas if the pit be filled solidly and entire- 



ly with ice, as soon as the ice begins to shrink 

 from and leave the sides of the pit, this regular 

 vacancy can be well crammed wiih dry straw, and 

 il' this straw get damp, il can be easily laken out 

 and changed. But if the straw had been put in 

 the ice, it would take up more space, and from 

 iis irregular stuffing, would be Ibuiid much more 

 difficult to remove, should it become damp or 

 mouldy. 



About the last of February, the mass of ice is 

 covered over with dry straw, not less than three 

 feet thick, and if straw is plenty, the house from 

 the ice to the joist is filled with it. It is consi- 

 dered very necessary to keep it wrapped under a 

 thick coat of straw, sedge or dry leaves. Should 

 ihe straw next the ice become damp, be careful 

 not to expose the ice to the air, but begin at one 

 end, and let the damp straw be pulled out — and 

 the next straw above, which is not only dry, but 

 cool, be suffered to settle down on the ice. It 

 you have more dry straw, let as much as was taken 

 out wet be brought and put on the top of the 

 straw in the house — or let the damp straw be dried 

 and sunned, and then returned on the top of the 

 straw in the house. Never think of changing 

 the whole mass of straw on the ice at one time, 

 by bringing fresh straw from the barn yard, fbr 

 this dry straw from the barn-yard will always be 

 of a much warmer temperature than your ice, 

 and will be sure to melt it very much. 



The advantages of packing ice in the above 

 mode, over the common method of pounding 

 into small lumps, are many, and striking. In the 

 first place, if the ice be three inches thick, or 

 more, it can be stowed quicker with the same 

 hands. Again, you can pack much more ice in 

 the same space — my house that used to be filled 

 with forty-eight ox-cart-loads of ice when pound- 

 ed, has often taken in seventy of the same sized 

 loads, when packed in the vvhole cake— and this 

 will not appear at all surprising upon a moment's 

 reflection. By pounding, you do not pack it ; 

 but infinitely multiply the pores and crevices — 

 any miller knows, that a bushel of corn when pul- 



' '" measure out 

 Any wood- 

 cutter knows, that a cord of round logs, say a foot 

 diameter, with the insterstices filled with small 

 round wood, if the logs be split or mauled into 

 marketable wood, will measure near a cord and 

 a half lair measure. But, sir, I will give you an 

 example exactly in point, and whicli, at least, 

 any countryman can try. Recollect, pounding 

 ice is very far from packing it. It is not com- 

 pressible like flour in a barrel under the action of 

 the packer. Take an ear of corn, roll it in half 

 a sheet of paper — let the paper come just even 

 with the but, or large end of the ear, and an 

 inch or two beyond the small end — twist the pa- 

 per at the small end, and tie it with a string all 

 round so that when the ear is drawn out. the pa- 

 per will form the exact case of it. Draw the 

 ear, shell it, and return the grains into the paper 

 case. If the ear is of the gourd seed, or of a 

 kind having long grains and a small cob, the 

 grains which will "lay packed exactly like the 

 slippery hard-pounded ice, will be found nearly 

 to fill the paper case, notwithstanding the vvhole 

 cob has been withdrawn. 



If, sir, you are not now convinced that seventy 

 loads of ice can be packed where forty-eight only 



