434 Ice-Pit at ErsJcine House. 



Art. III. Some Account of a Pit for preserving Ice, in Use at 

 Erskine House, Renfrewshire. By G. Shiells, Gardener there. 



In compliance with your request, I send you some account of 

 our ice-pit, beginning with a statement of the circumstances 

 which led to its adoption ; the ice-house here is of the common 

 form, but placed unfortunately in a damp situation, and con- 

 sequently had failed in keeping ice throughout the season. Mr. 

 Middleton, gardener at Blythswood, had, in consequence of the 

 ice-house there not keeping ice well, dug two pits in a sandy 

 bank by the side of a deep sunk fence, in which he succeeded in 

 preserving ice through the season. These pits are about 14 or 

 1 5 feet in diameter at top, but much narrower at bottom, and 

 about 7 ft. deep. I think there are drains leading from the 

 bottoms of these pits to the sunk fence. Previously to putting in 

 the ice, the bottoms of the pits are covered with pieces of wood, 

 over which are laid faggots or small branches; the ice has no 

 other covering or protection than 12 or 15 inches in depth of 

 soft peat or bog earth laid over the top, in close contact with the 

 ice. Although only a few yards separate, ice keeps much better 

 in the one pit than in the other. 



Previously to making our pit, I went to examine those at 

 Blythswood ; this was in 1837. The idea struck me that a gravelly 

 soil might suit better than sand, as being more free of moisture ; 

 also that a light temporary covering might be advantageous in 

 preserving the ice from excess of moisture in rainy weather, 

 especially when the moss cracks and opens as the ice subsides, 

 and also for the convenience of taking out the ice in wet weather, 

 and keeping it clean. Under this idea, we had a pit dug on the 

 top of a gravelly bank having a north exposure, surrounded by 

 large forest trees, which shaded it completely from the sun in 

 summer: its dimensions are 16 ft. in diameter at top, and about 

 10 ft. at the bottom, by 8 ft. in depth. As no water remained 

 standing long in the bottom after a heavy shower, no drain was 

 required, otherwise a drain would have been necessary; which, 

 however, should be completely filled with small gravel, to prevent, 

 as much as possible, the cold air from ascending through it. In 

 the bottom are laid branches of trees or young trees, from 4 in. to 

 8 in. in diameter, which are covered with small branches or 

 faggots for the ice to rest upon ; it also serves as a drain. 



During severe frost we fill the pit. The ice is well broken, 

 and rammed close ; that broken small being occasionally scattered 

 over that not so finely broken, to fill up the interstices. To aid 

 in consolidating the whole, water is poured upon it from time to 

 time from the rose of a watering-pot; in filling the pit, we gene- 

 rally use two large puncheonfuls. The ice is raised 3 ft. above 

 the surface of the ground. At finishing we give it an extra 



