498 



MISCELLANEOUS GARDEN STRUCTURES. 



pact and solid than that which is pro- 

 cured from the surface of shallow lakes 

 and streams; and, therefore, even when 

 an equal surface is exposed to the atmo- 

 sphere, the former melts more slowly 

 than the latter. Now, the ice in America 

 is derived from lakes of great depth, 

 sometimes as much as 200 feet ; and the 

 severity of the cold, which in winter falls 

 several degrees below zero, combined 

 with this fact, renders the ice from the 

 American lakes famous, not only for its 

 solidity, but for its magnitude likewise — 

 it being allowed to grow till it attains 

 12 inches in thickness. Thus, the ice be- 

 ing much thicker than any that is usually 

 procurable in this country, it exposes a 

 less amount of surface to the deliquescent 

 action of the air." When the ice is taken 

 from the lake for filling the ice-houses, 

 which are usually wooden shed-like struc- 

 tures entirely above the ground surface, it 

 is cut up into blocks 21 inches square, 

 and, as stated above, a foot or more in 

 thickness. These blocks are piled to- 

 gether whole, being cut with instruments 

 for the purpose. It is often transported 

 as ballast for ships, and, in such cases, is 

 cut into blocks of such shapes as may 

 best pack in the hold of the vessel. It 

 is merely covered with sawdust, straw, or 

 charcoal, all non-conductors of heat, and 

 in this state is frequently carried to dis- 

 tant countries. When shipped as regular 

 cargo, the blocks are packed in thin, air- 

 tight timber boxes, with straw and hay. 

 In this state the ice is sent to the East 

 Indies, and in one case is known to have 

 been exchanged for cotton, weight for 

 weight, and the cotton brought to Eng- 

 land and sold at a handsome profit. 

 Figs. 710 to 714 will show the imple- 

 ments used in preparing the ice. 



" From the time when the ice first 

 forms it is carefully kept free from snow 

 until it is thick enough to be cut. A 

 surface of some 2 acres is then selected, 

 which at that thickness," — 1 foot, — " will 

 furnish about 2000 tons :" a straight line 

 is then drawn through its centre from 

 side to side each way. A small hand- 

 plough is pushed along one of these lines 

 until the groove is about 3 inches deep 

 and a quarter of an inch in breadth, when 

 the marker, fig. 710, is introduced. This 

 implement is drawn by two horses, and 

 makes two new grooves parallel with the 



first, 21 inches apart, the gauge remain- 

 ing in the original groove. The marker 



Fig. 710. 



is then shifted to the outside groove, and 

 makes two more. Having drawn these 

 lines over the whole surface in one direc- 

 tion, the same process is repeated in a 

 transverse direction, marking all the ice 

 out into squares of 21 inches. In the 

 mean time the plough, fig. 711, drawn by 



Fig. 711. 



a single horse, is following in these 

 grooves, cutting the ice to a depth of 

 6 inches. One entire range of blocks is 

 then sawn out with the ice-saw, fig. 712, 



Fig. 712. 



and the remainder are split off, toward 

 the opening thus made, with an iron bar. 

 This bar is shaped like a spade, and is of 

 a wedge form : it is called the splitting- 

 bar. When it is dropped into the groove 

 the block splits off, a very slight blow 

 being suflicient to produce that effect, 

 especially in very cold weather. Plat- 

 forms or low tables of framework are 

 placed near the opening made in the ice, 

 with iron slides extending into the water, 

 and a man stands on each side of this 

 slide armed with an ice-hook, fig. 713. 



Fig. 713. 



With this hook the ice is caught, and, by 

 a sudden jerk, thrown up the slide on to 

 the platform. In a cold day everything 

 is speedily covered with ice by the freez- 

 ing of the water on the platforms and 

 slides, and the enormous blocks of ice, 

 weighing some of them more than 2 cwt, 



