62 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



SEPT. 3, 183E. 



^mW 5Sia''©lS.i^Sf3B' 2fii>2ESSi33^a 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, SEP I'. 2, 1835. 



ICE HOUSES. 



We have been favored will) letters from several 

 of our correspondents, residing in different parts of the 

 country, for information relative to the construction of iee 

 houses, and preserving ice for summer's use. In order 

 to meet the wishes of each and every of these o'jr par- 

 ticular, but unknown friends, without hiring an amanu- 

 ensis, or devoting ourscif to the occupation of correspond; 

 ing secretary to the world at large; and receiving no 

 other compensation for our labors pro bono publico, (the 

 benefit of every body & Co.) than the enjoyment of " the 

 luxury of doing good," we will print a circular on the 

 subject in this our New England Farmer, and send each 

 of our respected querists a copy. 



The mode of constructing ice houses, adopted by Pro- 

 fessor Cleaveland, of Brunswick, Me. is as follows : 



" A pit about 13 feet long, and feet wide, was dug 

 in level ground to the depth of 10 feet. The four walls 

 or sides of the ice house consist entirely of cedar. Each 

 wall is rendered double by nailing the boards horizon- 

 tally to two opposite sides of joists, 4 inches square, 

 placed perpendicularly, at the distance of a few feet from 

 each other. The interval between the boards is filled 

 with tan, [pulverized bark, which has been used by a 

 tanner in converting hides into leather,] and a space of 

 about 4 inches in width entirely around the building, on 

 the outside, is also occupied by tan ; so that the earth or 

 soil no where touches the boards. Upon these walls, 

 which are 11 feet in height, and of course project one 

 foot above the surface of the ground, is placed a very 

 sharp roof This roof is also double, and the interval be- 

 tween the boards is filled with charcoal powder. It is 

 painted white on the outside. 



The aforementioned pit is divided by a double parti- 

 tion, filled with tan, into two apartments. In one of 

 them, which is about 8 feet square, the ice is deposited. 

 The other apartment is employed as an entry, at the bot- 

 tom of which is a door, made double as aforementioned, 

 for the purpose of taking out the ice from day to day. 

 This entry, whose temperature in the lower part is very 

 uniformly that of cool weather in the autumn, isfurnish- 

 «d with shelves for the reception of butter, meat, milk, 

 &c. during the heat of summer, and is found to be ex- 

 tremely useful. 



The ice is cut in blocks of regular form and very close- 

 ly packed, the interstices being filled with pulverised 

 ice. All the space which remains above the ice is filled 

 ' with dry straw. A few cedar slabs form the floor on 

 which the ice rests. There are several reasons for pre- 

 ferring cedar to other kinds of wood ; and I did not find 

 its expense to exceed that of merchantable pine boards 

 It would be convenient to have the entry a little longer 

 than the one just described." — X. E. Farmer, vol. x, 

 p. 134. 



In a subsequent communication for the same paper, — 

 ■ee vol. X, p. 139, — Professor Cleaveland. observes : 

 " On reading the description of my ice house in your last 

 number, it occurred to me that I might not have been 

 Bufficiently minute in one or two points. The roof is 

 ■0 sharp and high that it affords a convenient passage 

 into the entry above ground at the end of the building, 

 by a triangular door, through which the ice is easily in- 

 troduced at the top of the pit. This door is closed after 

 the straw is deposited in the space above the ice. This 

 one door, opening to the atmosphere is sufficient for all 

 pnrpoaes." 



The New England Farmer, vol. xiii., p. 353, contains 

 an article copied from the Boston Transcript, from which 

 the following is an extract ; 



" There are persons, younger than ourself, who can 

 remember when the only ice sold in Boston was brought 

 into the city in parcels of ten or fifteen pounds in the box 

 of a market gardener's cart, and sold as a very great luxu- 

 ry at a corresponding price. There were then no ice 

 houses in the vicinity, except at a few gentlemen's coun- 

 trv seats, and they v^ere built under ground, and were of 

 small capacity. Within the last twenty years, the con- 

 sumption has become general, and the cost is so small, 

 that ice is no longer deemed a luxury, but one of the 

 necessaries of life. The amount also exported from Bos- 

 Ion to southern climates is incredible. The art of pre- 

 serving the ice is very simple, and in well constructed 

 houses there is scarcely any loss from dissolution, and it 

 may be preserved for years. We rode out last winter 

 with Col. Metcalf, of Cambridge, to witness the process 

 of filling one of his ice houses, on the borders of Mystic 

 Pond, about six miles from the city. The ice house is 

 built entirely above the ground, as is now the well ap- 

 proved custom even in tropical climates. It is §5 feet 

 long, 50 feet wide, and 2-5 feet po.sts, and holds nearly 

 3000 tons of ice. The house is built of pine boards, and 

 the ice is protected from the external heat by filling in 

 the walls, which are a foot and a half thick, with the 

 exhausted bark of tan pits — a non-conductor of caloric, 

 which has been found perfectly efficacious," «S:c. 



Ice houses should be filled in the coldest weather, and 

 the ice broken into lumps about the size of a man's head. 

 Cold water may be dashed en every layer of ice, and du- 

 ring very cold nights the door of the ice house should be 

 left open. Ice may be gathered and drawn in pleasant 

 and moderate weather, but should not be packed away 

 except when it is very cold. 



MASSACHUSETTS HOKTICUI-TURAIi SOCIETY. 



Saturday, August 29, 1B35. 



EXHIBITION or FRUITS. 



Pejks.— By M. P. Wilder, Bell or English Windsor. 

 From the garden of Mr Pratt, at Oakley place, in Wa- 

 tertown, Bellissime d'Ete. By E. M. Richards, hand- 

 some specimens of Catharine Pear. By Mr Manning, 

 Sugar Pear of Hoyerswerda— - middle sized and very 

 sweet — but it does not prove high flavored. By Messrs 

 Winship, a seedling Pear, received of Joel Burnett, of 

 Southboro', which originated on the farm of Peter Fay. 

 It is stated to be a good bearer, and to ripen in succession 

 for two or three weeks. 



Apples. — By Mr Manning, Calville Rouge d'Ete; 

 White Astracan of the London Horticultural catalogue ; 

 also White Astracan of Ronald and the Pomological 

 Magazine. By E. M. Richards, Benoni ; also Red June- 

 ating — both fine specimens. By Thomas Lee, Brook- 

 line, Abbot Sweeting, a fine cooking fruit. Another, an 

 oblong, middle sized, greenish fruit, was exhibited, from 

 an unknown source, for a name — the flavor fine — the 

 pericarp large, like the Bellflower, which it much re- 

 sembled in form. 



Plums. — By S. Pond, White Gage, fine and large; 

 also Pond's Purple Plum. By Mr Manning, Italian 

 Damask — very fine. 



Some other fruits were offered for exhibition by Mr 

 Wilder, which are not here particularized. 



For the Committee, William Kekeick. 



EXHIBITION OF FLOWERS. 



The show of flowers continues to be attractive. The 

 many fine varieties exhibited this day gave proof of the 

 growing taste for Horticulture qnd refinement. Col. 

 Wilder is uqrivalled in the Dahlia department. 



M. P. Wilder. — Dahlias ; Sulphuria excelsa, Grants, 

 Dancer's Helen, Aggrippina, Alba purpurata, I'avonia, 

 Queen Whites, Pothecary's dueen Sheba, Earl Chi- 

 chester, Duchess Bedford, Negro boy, Qufen Sheba, Sa- 

 lem Beauty, Bella Donna, Lady Granville, Dwarf Blushj 

 Widnall's Perfection, Walter Boyd, Antonio, Inwood'f 

 Evelina, Queen Yellow, Countess Liverpool, Early grey, 

 Picta formossissima, Lutea purpurea. Lord John Russell, 

 La Brilliant, King Whites, Ophelia, Dennissi, Barret's 

 Susannah, Mrs Petre, Kentish Hero, Rose d'Amour, Ja- 

 son, Prince of Orange, Aurantia Speciosa, Queen Bess, 

 French White,Roke'sDwarf Scarlet, Columbine, Duch- 

 ess Richmond, Polyphemus. 



John A. KenricU — Mexican Tiger flower, Dahlias, 3 

 kinds, Bignonia Griindiflora, Altliea Frutex, 3 varielie», 

 Helianthus multitiora. Noisette roses. 3 kinds, &c. 



The following gentlemen favored the show with ele- 

 gant bouquets, containing a great variety of very beautiful 

 and rare kinds of flowers, too numerous to be inserted in 

 a report: — Messrs Ilovey, William Kenrick, Thomas 

 Mason, Messrs Winship, and also from the country seat 

 of William Pratt, Esq. beautiful specimens of Dahlias. 

 For the Committee, 



JoNA. Winship, Chairman. 



[ l'"roin the Christian Register.) 

 VIP.TUES OF THE TOMATO. 



A medical professor in one of the colleges of the west; 

 speaks warmly in favor of the virtues of the Tomato. He 

 says of it, that in all those affections of the liver, and 

 other organs, where calomel is indicated, it is proba- 

 bly the most effective, and least harmful remedial agent 

 known to the profession. That a chemical extract will 

 probably soon be obtained from it, which will altogether 

 supersede the use of calomel in the cure of disease. That 

 he has successfully treated serious diarrhoea with this ar- 

 ticle alone. That when used as an article of diet, it ie 

 almost a sovereign remedy for dyspepsia, or indigestioD. 

 That persons removing from the East or North to the 

 West or South should, by all means, make use of it 

 as an aliment, as it would, ip that event, save them 

 from the danger attendant upon those bilious attacki 

 to which almost all unacclimaied persons are liable. 

 That citizens, in general, should make use of it, either 

 raw, cooked, or in form of catsup, with their daily food, 

 as it is the most healthy article of the Materia Alimen- 

 laria, &c. 



STEAIilNG FRUIT. 



A lad of about 14 years of age was b.adly wounded 

 recently by the discharge of & spring gun -which a citizen 

 had set in his garden to arrest depredations on his fruit 

 and vegetables. Whatever doubts we have as to tbs 

 propriety of persons setting guns or large spring traps 

 to protect their premises, as we understand several of 

 our citizens are doing; yet we can hardly pity any one 

 who has arrived at the years of discretion that will com- 

 mit so flagrant a breach of the peace, as to enter the pre- 

 mises of another in the dark, to steal or destroy his 

 property. — Genesee Farmer. 



STRING BEANS. 



Those of cur friends who are fond of string beans 

 would do well to pick, strip and cut as many as they 

 may think proper for use next winter and have them 

 dried — they will shrivel up very much, and appear as 

 though they must forever be useless, but don't be fright- 

 ened — when they are well dried, put them in a bag or 

 box and lay them away. When it is desirable to use 

 them, take a portion — soak them until they become fully 

 swelled, then boil them, and you will agree with us that 

 they are excellent. — Mechanic and Farmer. 



