244 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Feb. 20, 1829. 



REFRIGERATORS. 



Concluded from page 236. 

 When it is required to produce a great decree 

 of cold siiddcidy, it will bo jiroper to lieat tlie ice 

 small and add about one-(burtli its weight of salt ; 

 the mixture will melt much sooner than ice alone ; 

 and because the frceziiiir pnint of the hriiie their 

 union will produce, is 38° below the freezing point 

 of fresh water, and its capacity for heat being 

 greatly increased on its j)assiiig to the fluid state, 

 the mixture while melting, must necessarily be 

 abundantly colder than ice ; which constant ex- 

 perience verifies. After the brine has taken up 

 so much heat that it is no colder than ice, it may 

 be drawn off and used for cattle or any other ne- 

 cessary purpose. I should suppose this practice 

 would be always i)roper for fishermen when their 

 fish were first put in. 



Before I leave this part of the subject it will 

 not be amiss to notice a very erroneous practice 

 which I am told some have fallen into. Knowing 

 that a mixture of ice and salt produces a great de- 

 gree of cold, they have very injudiciously mixed 

 salt with the ice when filling then- ice houses. — 

 Strange as it may ajjpear, yet it is certainly a fact, 

 that by t'lis jiractice about three times the quan- 

 tity of ice will be melted, that would be by using 

 the same weight of boiling water. This, howev- 

 er, is not all clear loss : it lias just been observed, 

 that four pounds of ice, or water, and one pound 

 of salt, produce a brine whose freezing point is 

 3S° below the freezing point of fresh water, or 6° 

 below : this is the brine that will l)e produced by 

 a particle of salt coming in contact with ice, at 

 the instant of melting ; being about the proportion 

 of salt which water at that temperature can dis- 

 solve : therefore, 1 lb. of salt will liquify 4 lbs. of 

 ice in an ice house at the temperature of 32°; 1 lb. 

 of boiling water will liquify about 1 J lb. But on 

 passing to the liquid state, it takes from the ad- 

 joining ice as much heat as s'.ipplies its increased 

 capacity ; which it is possible, is about 10S° ; 38° 

 less than fresh water ; this being the diflijrence be- 

 tween their freezing points. Admitting the brine 

 to flow off as fast as it is made, these 38° for each 

 pound of brine or one hundred and fifty-two fcr 

 each pound of salt, is all the loss that will be sus- 

 tained ; because the ice that was cooled by the 

 process, must be again supplied with the same 

 quantity of heat, to raise it to its original tempera- 

 ture : the loss will therefore, be something more 

 than one pound of ice to each pound of salt. If 

 the brine was to contimie some time. before it pass- 

 ed off" from the ice, the loss would be less ; be- 

 cause its temperature would be raised by heat 

 taken from the ice ; but as certainly as it leaves 

 the Ice any colder than the general temperature 

 (32°,) so sure some loss is sustained : because the 

 introduction of salt can do very litde either to- 

 wards increasing or diminishing the quantity of 

 heat already in the ice house, or regulating the fu- 

 ture supply. Its only agency, goes to effiBct a 

 speedy dissolution of the ice in contact with it, by 

 borrowing as nuich lieat from the ice in its vicin- 

 ity, as will supply the increased capacity of the 

 new made liquid, which is about 108° ; whereas 

 without salt the same quantity of ice must have 

 taken from the general supply, of heat (the same 

 in both cases) as much as would raise its temjiera- 

 ture 146° before it could be in a condition to flow 

 away. Therefore, admitting it was possible for 

 the brine to be retained until its temperature was 

 raised to 32°, no advantage can be gained. See- 



ing then it cannot possibly be useful, and may do 

 much harm, applying it in that way must be 

 worse than throwing it away. 



After this digression, we will return to the sub- 

 ject of refrigerators. Twenty pounds of ice per 

 day for fiuir months is 2400 lbs. a small propor- 

 tion of the quantity recommended to be stored in 

 the ice house ; but we are to remember, that after 

 all precautions, we must expect a great deal more 

 will he melted in the ice house than will be taken 

 out for use. TJie mean temperature pro|iosed for 

 the inside of the refrigerator and its contents to be 

 kept, (to wit) about 48°, and on which the calcu- 

 lation is grounded, is below the point at which the 



the variety of articles, these exhihitions may hav« 

 been deficient in cmiiparison with some feriner 

 seasons, yet in general, the productions inspicted 

 have not fallen short in size or other distinguish- 

 ing excellencies. With (i?w exceptions the speci- 

 mens have consisted of such horticullural objects 

 as are generally in most dcmaiiil throiighoia the 

 country, and which are actually acclirnateil lo our 

 soil or capable of becoming so, and which coiise- 

 quently do not require the aid of arlifici.d cnliiva- 

 tion. Several of the most valuable artitdes ol tliia 

 descri[itioii, which were almost unknown in our 

 city a few years since, have by means of the skill 

 and efforts of members of this Society, been 



putrefactive i)rocess in flesh can commence : fresh brought to our market in such quantities and at 



meat may therefore be preserved a week, or longer 

 if desired, in good condition, in the hottest weath- 

 er: and all other kind of |)rovisions, fruits, or liq- 

 uids will be found to be quite as cold as will be 

 agreeable. 



By attending to the foregoing instructions, it 

 will not be diflicult for an ingenious mechanic, to 

 construct refrigerators upon either of the plans 



such prices, as to have become common luxuries 

 to our inhabitants. Among these we might in- 

 stance the article Brocoli, which is now readily to 

 be obtained in heads averaging from 2 to 4 lbs. 

 for several of the fall and winter months, at (irices 

 little exceeding the ordinary rates of cabbage. — 

 The same thing may be said with regard to the 

 cheapness of cabbage, lettuce, potatoes, and peas. 



proposed, and to vary the form and size at pleas- '. jiarticularly the sort known as Bishop's early pea, 



ure, always attending to the general rules ; that 

 the inside vessel must be of metal, and the outside 

 composed of such materials as we find by e.tperi- 

 ence forms the warmest clothing, or are least dis- 

 posed to conduct heat. 



A good method of determining whether any 

 substance is a good, or bad conductor of heat, is, 

 by heating or burning^one end of a small piece of 

 the same material, and holding the other end 

 in the fingers : if it can be ignited, or burned 

 close ' to the fingers, without much sensation 

 of heat, it is a bad or slow smductor : if on 

 the contrary, a sensation of heat is perceived when 

 the ignition or burning is at some distance from 

 the fingers ; it is a good or quick conductor of 

 heat. 



Keeping these leading principles in view, re- 

 frigerators may be constructed of light materials, 

 to contain, not only butter, but poultry, veal, lamb, 

 and all sorts of small marketing, which are liable 

 to be injured by carrying in hot weather; one of 

 these may be filled, and its contents cooled ; then 

 draw oft" the water and add some more ice : in 

 this condition, it may be put into a covered cart or 

 covered carriage of any kind ; maybe on thei-oad 

 the whcde of a hot summer's day, and be delivered 

 at market in as good condition as in the winter 

 season. This would entirely supersede the neces- 

 sity of the unhealthy, and disagreeable [iractice of 

 travelling to market in the night. If such refrige- 

 rators should happen to be made imperfectly, a 

 blanket or two thrown over them and plenty of 

 dry straw around them would he useful 



From the New York Farmer. 



REPORT 



Of the Inspecltng Committee oftheJ^cw York Horti- 

 cultural Society, for 1828. 

 The Committee of Inspection respectfully re- 

 port, that they have held weekly sessions through- 

 out the past season, for the purpose of receiving 

 such articles as were submitted to their examina- 

 tion. They are gratified in being able to assure 

 the Society that these exhibitions have been uni- 

 formly of the most interesting character, and cal- 

 culated to aflord the most satisfactory evidence of 

 the skill and success of the several members 

 whose productions were examined. Although in 



lately introduced by a member among us, and re- 

 markable for its early and abundant produce. 



The attention of our members has been also di- 

 rected successfully to the cultivation of the finer 

 kinds of fruit which the same reference io the 

 sorts most capable of sustaining the vicissitudes of 

 our climate — among these, the f^ute, which has of 

 late years attracted such general attention among 

 our countrymen, may be noticed as a piomiiieul 

 object of regard among the members of this soci- 

 ety. In the course of the season, the committee 

 have examined specimens of several difierent 

 kinds of foreign grapes which have produced fruit 

 in perfect maturity and great luxuriance, in the 

 open grounds of our city and its vicinity. From 

 this fact the committee entertain a well grounded 

 hope that the obstacles which our cliiiuite presents 

 to the cultivation of this delicious fruit will ulti- 

 mately be overcome. 



The committee have further to report with res- 

 pect to another article of the highest importance 

 to the horticulturist, the Peach, that they are led 

 to anticipate a return of the former abun<laiice of 

 this unrivalled fruit. From the specimens which 

 they have inspected, which were ]iroduced in the 

 open grounds and gardens in and near the city, 

 they are persuaded that in flavor and size, the 

 peach has in no wise degenerated from its liirmef 

 excellence, and they are persuaded that the inqui- 

 ries and experiments which have been instituted 

 among the members to ascertain the cause of the 

 late scarcity and difficulty of culture, and to reme-f 

 dy the evil, will be crowned with success. 



The exhibition of ap[)les, pears, and plums, have 

 also been of the most interesting description. — 

 Several new and valuable varieties imported by 

 members of the Society, have produced fruit which 

 promise to become important additions to our al- 

 readj' extensive catalogue of these sjiecios. 



With respect to the interesting department ot 

 our science. Floriculture, abundant testimony of 

 the increasing attention paid it, has been present- 

 ed to the committee. During the whole course of 

 the season, the exhibitions of this branch of horti- 

 culture have been uncommonly rich and the con- 

 tributors numerous. The correspondence which 

 several of our members maintain with the best 

 gardeners of Europe, has enabled them to add 

 many rare and splendid contributions to the stock 



