Z?3 



30 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 2^ 



ficiency and gives a picture of what the ice method involves. It is 

 here given in the owner's expressive, though sketchy phrases, as taken 

 down in note form. 



"1902 — Bought ice of company in nearby city for daily cooler at 

 cost of $100 to $130 a year. Ice company finally refused to go out 

 of city limits to deliver. 



"1903 — Cut ice in river, % to 1 mile away. Too much work and took 

 too long — one and one-half weeks. Cutting was hired out. Ice hauled 

 on wheels or sleds. 



"1905^ — Got tired of hauling. Looked over meadow and saw that it 

 was possible to dam it. Made plank and dirt dam 40 to 50 feet long. 

 Took several years to get it fixed right. Stopped leaking after a while. 

 Quite a bit of trouble keeping dam tights — repairs yearly — 11/2 acres 

 flooded — 4 feet deep. Quality of ice, good, bad and indifferent, but gen- 

 erally fairly clear. 



"First ice-house built in 1903 or 1904 cost at least $200. rotted out 

 in about 1917. Built in back of barns. Two air spaces, three walls, lot 

 of trouble in building it. Second ice-house built at pond one-eighth 

 mile from house in 1917 cost over $600. Put up tons of ice that never 

 were used but had to haul only what was actually wanted. With the 

 first house near the barn we hauled a lot of ice that just melted in 

 storage. (Nearly twice the quantity of ice that will actually be re- 

 quired must be put in storage to allow for shrinkage.) Job required 

 $75. for extra help, besides owner and two sons. Twenty inch ice had 

 to be put in with power, thinner ice with pike poles. A week or a 

 little more was required to put in 500 to 800 cakes measuring 18" x 

 22". 



"Cooling room bunkers were filled two and three times per week us- 

 ing three to four hundred pounds each time and five to six hundred 

 in hot weather, 200 pounds for house each time. Two men and horses 

 or truck needed II/2 to 2 hours, washing off, cutting and putting it in 

 bunker — mashed toes, jammed fingers and some cuss words. 



"Sawdust quite a problem. Haul varied from one to five miles to 

 nearest sawmill. Never less than $1.00 a load. Used 8 to 10 loads a 

 year. Not much depreciation on cooling room from moisture, drained 

 water off in good shape. 



"Pretty poor refrigeration — up and down temperature. Temperature 

 ran up while loading bunkers and seemed to take a lot of fresh ice to 

 bring it back. Small left-over pieces were taken out, large fresh cakes 

 put in, small pieces packed around. Two or three loads of hay to 

 get in, cooler runs out of ice — let cooler go — sour milk on route next 

 day — customers dissatisfied, etc. Quite a lot of trouble and loss by 

 milk spoiling. Additional quality of milk and cream nearly pays for 

 current. Wouldn't go back to ice even if it cost a lot more for elec- 

 tricity." 



Comparison of Initial Investment, The initial investments required 

 for the two methods are given in Table 12. 



Inasmuch as the rental basis on Farm No. 2 is no longer offered by 

 the manufacturer the usual purchase prices are best considered. 



A low-priced ice house and home pond, the most expensive ice equip- 

 ment, may still reduce the investment below the electric method. By 



