74 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



SEPT. 8 



ley's note seems clearly to prove, that one cross 

 with tlie pure Merino would make their wool im- 

 niediatily saleable, at a great advance of price, 

 for seven years to come, while no deterioration 

 would have taken place in the carcass." 



Lawrence adds : " The loss of size in the Meri- 

 no-Dishley cross, is a natural result, perfectly in- 

 dependent of the idea of dotorioralion ; and as to 

 the flesh, nothing can be better calculated than a 

 Spanish mixture to remove the natural insipidity 

 <if Bikewoll mutton." 



On the subject of the deterioration of the wool 

 by crossing, and the impossibility of preserving its 

 fineness out of Spain, Lawrence says: "I lately 

 exposed the following patterns of cloths to one 

 who ought to bo as capable a judge of cloth as any 

 man in England, and who was formerly convinced 

 of the utter impossibility of growing fine wool in 

 iJiis country : — No. 1, given me by himself two 

 years since, as the finest pattern of cloth London 

 could produce, and made from imported Spanish 

 wool ; No. \!, Lord Sduierville's ciclh, manufactur- 

 ed, I believe, in 180(J, (made from pure Merino, 

 grown in England ;) No. 'i, a. late and very beau- 

 tiful pattern of Dr. Parry's Merino-Ryland cloth. 

 The judge instantly threw aside No. I, as totally 

 unworthy to stand in competition ! giving the pre- 

 ference to Dr. Parry's specimen: but on a final 

 examination, declared that he thought Lord Somer- 

 villo's pattern somewhat the finest and the fabric 

 most substantial, the other wearing the face of a 

 beautiful lady's cloth, in appearance like those 

 made of Saxon wool." 



Now, cannot we apply the above account of a 

 most interesting experiment to our advantage ? It 

 is supposed by some in this country that the wool 

 is deteriorated by crossing, the fleece being neither 

 decidedly fine or coarse, and the staple of different 

 lengths — neither combing or clothing — but here is 

 proof positive, and only one among hundreds, that 

 this is not the fact, and that a great profit is to be 

 derived from a judicious cross with the small Me- 

 rino ram on the large Dishtey ewe. With regard 

 to the flavor of the Merino mutton, Lawrence says : 

 "I have never heard any man complain of the 

 quality of Spanish mutton but ho who never tasted 

 it." J. L. 



From the Kentucky Farmer. 



ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF ICE HOUSES. 



CJ^Professor Peter has our hearty thanks for 

 Iiis excellent communication, as we are sure he 

 will receive those of our readers interested in the 

 subject 80 satisfactorily treated. 



Lfxinoto.v, Aug. 9, 1841. 

 To the Editor nftlif Kentucky Farmer ; 



Dear Sir — The desire to contribute my mite, 

 however small, to the support of your valuable pa- 

 per, prompts nic to send you the following remarks 

 on the construction of ice houses; which, however, 

 I beg you not to publish, unless you think they are 

 worth the space they would occupy in your col- 

 umns. Yours, respectfully, 



ROBT. PETER. 



The principles which should be kept in view in 

 the construction of houses for the preservation of 

 ice, are few and simple. The sole object of the 

 structure being to prevent the passage of caloric 

 (a definite term employed to designate the cause 

 of the sensation called lualj from the earth, the 



air or the sun, to the ice ; for if we could com- 

 pletely prevent the passage of that agent into the 

 ice, it would retain its solid form for any length of 

 time. 



The tempera! ore of ice, when at its melting 

 point, is ',i'2, rahrcnheit ; in order that it may melt 

 into water, it must absorb 140 degrees of caloric, 

 sufficient to raise its temperature to 172 deg., but 

 which only changes its form from solid to liquid, 

 without rendering it any warmer than it was be- 

 fore — the water draining from the melting ice be- 

 ing always at the same temperature with the ice 

 itself. Without the accession of these 140 degrees 

 of caloric, therefore, ice would never be melted in- 

 to water. 



Could vc construct a house of materials that 

 were perfect non-conductors of caloric, the preser- 

 vation of ice contained in it would bo complete. 

 As, however, we have no perfect non-conductors, 

 we must select for our purpose those substances 

 wliicli conduct most shnvly. The materials which 

 experience has selected for articles of clothing, to 

 preserve the natural temperature of our bodies, 

 stand at the head of the list of these substances, 

 and would also be the very best that could be used 

 to protect ice from the surrounding caloric, were 

 they not too dear and too perishable in their na- 

 ture. As these, however, cannot be employed, for 

 this reason, except in preserving small quantities 

 for immediate use, we are obliged to resort to oth- 

 ers less perfect but cheaper and more indestructi- 

 ble. Among these are the following, winch I have 

 placed in the order of their relative resistence to 

 the passage of caloric, as determined by Count 

 Ruinford and others ; those which oppose the 

 greatest obstruction to its passage being placed 

 first, viz : 



Charcoal of light wood. 



Dry wood ashes, 



Tan bark, 



Wood, 



Sand, 



Bricks, 



Porous earth. 



Porous rocks. 



Dense rocks. 

 According to our data, one of the best modes of 

 forming the wall.^ of an ice house, would be to 

 make a fnme-work of timbers, soy from U to 12 

 inches thick, to board it up on both sides of the 

 limbers, and fill the spaces between the boards 

 with powdered charcoal, dry wood ashes, tan bark 

 or saw dust; the floor and covering of the struc- 

 ture being protected in the same manner ; and on 

 filling it with ice, a considerable thickness of straw 

 should be placed at the bottom, sides and top. 



Where these materials are not easily to be ob- 

 tained, logs of wood, built up ill the pit like a log 

 cabin, make a very good substitute; more cspe- 

 ciolly if filled on Ihe outside, next the earth, with 

 charcoal, ashes, sawdust, or tan bark. For this 

 purpose charcoal and ashes are preferable to saw- 

 dust and tan bark, in consequence of their inde- 

 structibility. 



Bricks and stones, although often employed in 

 th'j construction of ice houses, are less proper than 

 wood, unless lined on the outside with a sufficient 

 thickness of charcoal, ashes, or other imperfuct 

 conductors. 



Ice houses are frequently made partly above and 

 partly below the general surface of the ground ; 

 the top being arched over and the earth which was 



dug'from the pit being thrown on tlie (op of i r 

 structure, in the form of a mound. This is a vcj 

 good form, provided all the sides arc prolected 

 non-conductors, from the caloric of the soil. T 

 caloric of the sun's rays, absorbed by the surfa 

 of the porous earth in summer, passes through 

 with considerable difficulty and travels slowly 

 the interior: passing off again in part by the sat 

 slow process back to the surface, to be dissipat 

 during the cold of winter. In consequence of l 

 diffirulty with which it penetrates porous eart 

 matters, the daily changes of temperature cam 

 be observed at a greater depth than 3 or 4 feet, a 

 the great annual vicissitudes ore entirely lost I 

 fore they descend 100 feet below the surface. T 

 earth's surface, therefore, does not bec(mie heat- 

 er cooled rapidly to any considerable depth, a 

 deep caves and excavations in the earth, preset 

 a scarcely varying temperature, which approaci 

 that of the mean temperature of the region. Tl 

 is the temperature of the water of deep wills, or 

 springs rising from some depth, which by coupa 

 son appears cold in summer and warm in uinl 

 The mean temperature of this region is eomchwi 

 between 52 and 3f) degrees, Fah. ; 20 or '^-4 ( 

 grces above the molting point of ice ; so tint thi 

 is always caloric enough iathe soil, below il.c si 

 face, to melt ice, oven during the winter .-• asi 

 and deep ice houses, whether covered or in t w 

 a mound of earth, hence require the protection 

 walls of non-conducting materials. 



One of the most common causes of tho ra| 

 melting of ice in ice houses, is the want of so 

 cient drainage. If the water which drops from t 

 ice or sinks from the surface of the soil, ram 

 drain away, but remains at the bottom of ti; i ui 

 in contact with the icf, it serves as ;i '.: 

 through which the caloric of the earth pn- « 

 facility, causing the rapid melting and i. 

 the ice. At the bottom of every ice hou- ,r 

 fore, if it is not in a very sandy soil, then 

 be a well of sufficient magnitude, or ll 

 should be raised to such a height above tli 

 as to prevent the water from ever coming 

 tact with the ice. Decomposition, and tho 

 tion ofmepliitic gases, as suggested by one 

 correspondents, cannot take place umlcr tir r ( 

 cumstances ; the most fermentable liquu!.-^ I'.n : 

 begin their fermentation until their tempcrisure 

 raised above 32 deg., which is that of tin- »•» 

 dripping from ice. 



Tliose houses which are not covered " ith 

 mound of earth, should have a good roof, 't M 

 is better, a tight room built over them, to |iov( 

 the circulation of air as much as possible. :inr| i 

 roof and sides should be rendered as nrar 

 against the passage of caloric, as Btraiv c 

 substances of the kind, fixed on Iho in-i 

 make them ; and to prevent as much as 

 the absorption of the caloric of the sun'.-* i 

 whole exterior, roof and all, should bo wul 

 washed — it being a well established fact, ili; 

 less is absorbed by a white surface tlian by 

 one. 



A great deal may be gained in the prcs( 

 of ice, by putting it up during the very 

 weather. For example, if ice be cut and > 

 for a sufficient time to the air, when the tlie 

 ter is at lero, and packed away at that temporal 

 it must become heated up to its melting poim 

 degrees above zero, before a particle of it 

 li(|ucfy. But if packed in the house on a mild 

 when in a thawing condition, it being already hi 



t i.rr 

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