No. 2. 



Remarks on Ice Houses — ^^pple Pumice. 



55 



"be sufficient for a large tamily. It may be 

 erected in a tew days by any li.indy laborinfr 

 rn;in, with the materials that can be IouikI 

 upon almost any farm. Dig a cellar, say 10 

 feet square, and 10 feet deep, then cut small 

 timber from the woods the proper length, and 

 build ihcm up in the cellar after the plan of 

 an American wooden house, keeping the space 

 between the logs and the earth well filled 

 with straw ; raise the building 2 or 3 feet 

 above the surrounding ground so that the wa- 

 ter will not get into the house, thatch tiie 

 roof, and leave the gable ends open, for ice 

 houses are often made too close at top, cover 

 plentifully with straw and you will have an 

 abundance of ice through the season. 



If the bottom of your ice house is clay or 

 hard earth of any kind, it will be better to put 

 in a few loads of coarse sand previous to rill- 

 ing the house. There is- some difference of 

 opinion among people acquainted with keep- 

 ing ice in regard to the construction of the 

 jjppor part of the buildinir, whether there 

 should be a tight floor over the ice or not. — 

 My opinion is in favor of covering the ice 

 well with straw and leaving the house ven- 

 tilated at the gable ends, at least so open that 

 the gas escaping from the ice will have an 

 opportunity of passing away. 



Subscriber. 



Remarks on Ice IIou!«cs, etc. 



The information desired by S. W., relative 

 to Ice Houses, is certainly demanded at a pro- 

 per season ; when the drought and atmospheric 

 heat combined, not only direct tlie minds of 

 reflecting mortals heavenward, to learn our 

 humble dependence on an August Power, 

 hut admonish us, also, to use every artificial 

 means either to avert or mitigate tlie evils 

 thereof. Should we be visited by many sea- 

 sons like the present, an ice house will be 

 comprised among the farmer's most necessary 

 buildings, — indeed, they are found an acqui- 

 sition during every ordinary summer season. 

 There is nothing wanting but a simple, eco- 

 nomical, and effectual plan of the building, 

 to make them common on every farm desti- 

 tute of a convenient cold spring. The plan 

 of a building here submitted, I believe, com- 

 biRes economy with the latest improvements. 

 Choose any convenient situation, set a rough 

 frame of the required dimensions on the top 

 of the ground; make another frame, about a 

 foot larger than the first, placing it immedi- 

 ately over or around it, leaving an interstice 

 of about a foot between the two frames. For 

 abbreviation call it a double frame, — fill the 

 space between the frames with tanner's bark 

 as compactly as possible. What could be 

 more simple? The secret consists entirely 

 in the use of the tanner's bark — the philoso- 

 phy of which is easily explained — that sub- 



stance is a most perfect non-condnctnr ofhpnt 

 The art of filliaLf an ice house is also import- 

 ant. It slioiild be done while the weather is 

 freezing, — the ice may be i)ut in in any shape, 

 but the improved mode consists in filling up 

 gradually with water, leaving the whole mass 

 freeze into a solid body. The plan here de- 

 scribed may be considered " far fetched," when 

 the same knowledge could have been obtain- 

 ed from any gentleman in the city interested 

 in the Pliiladelphia Ice Company. The use 

 of ice during the hot season, in the country, 

 will be only one among the many luxuries 

 and comforts which have accumulated on the 

 farmer's board since agricultural societies, 

 papers, and periodicals have given impetus 

 to our agriculture. The spirit of improve- 

 ment which is now abroad in our profession, 

 lieighteningour enjoyments by rural comforts, 

 increasing our products by improved cultiva- 

 tion, and beautifying the landscape by rural 

 embellishments — must eventually elevate its 

 standard commensurate with elevated minds. 

 The primary object of all agricultural papers 

 being to disseminate valued information, and 

 to afibrd farmers a free interchange of senti- 

 ment with each other, thus becoming famil- 

 iarized and known to each other by reputa- 

 tion, is it not uncourteous to be deprived of 

 this high privilege and pleasure by anony- 

 mous and fictitious signatures] 



Wm. Penn Kinzer. 



Sijrjndawn Farm, Pequea, Lancaster j 

 County, Pa., August 10th, 183-i. ( 



For the l^armers' Cahinot. 



Apple fiiiiiicc. 



An enemy may be marie a friend by proper treatment. 



Those who desire to destroy elder bushes, 

 or any other troublesome trees, shrubs, or 

 plants can accomplish it most effectually by 

 spreading pumice from the cider press about 

 them; valuable fruit trees have often been 

 killed by suffering apple pumice to remain 

 on the ground near them, and a friend of 

 mine, taking the l;int from losing some fine 

 fruit trees in this way, has made the article 

 subserve a useful purpose in destroy in? hedge- 

 rows that it was difficult, yet desirable, to get 

 rid of. It is probable that it is the acid com- 

 municated to the soil which renders it so de- 

 structive an agent. The effect of the acid 

 may be counteracted, and the soil again ren- 

 dered productive by the application of limo 

 or ashes. Q. 



Handsome feather fans may as well be made 

 by the younger members of a family, as to be 

 bought. The sooner children are taught to 

 turn their faculties to some account, the bet- 

 ter for them and foi their patents. 



Avoid discussing politics and religiou as 

 much as you can. 



