ON THE MANAGEMENT OF ICE IN STACKS AND ICE-HOUSES. 
will thus be seen that the main points to attain success are, to get clear ice, to pound it almost to 
powder, and to secure escape for accumulated moisture. 
A word in regard to the situation of the ice-house may not be out of place here. It should be 
screened from the powerful rays of the sun by lofty trees, but may be open to the north, rather 
than overhung by their branches, which prevents the radiation of the heat which the roof acciuuu- 
lates in hot, dry weather, and generates a dampness, which is detrimental, however occasioned. 
Ice-stacks are made in various forms, and of different dimensions, and, for the sake of economy in 
carriage, generallj' near the water, upon a sloping bank. I know a gentleman who does not break his 
ice for stacldng, but fills up the interstices with snow and water ; but this is a " penny wise and 
pound foolish" practice, as it is impossible to get it into so compact and solid a mass, or to make 
all the angles unite, so as to exclude the aii-. At Berkeley Castle, the seat of Lord Fitzhardinge, there 
is no ice-house, but the family depend for a large consumption entirely ujJon an immense stack of 200 
loads, wliich is annually stored when there is sufficient fi-ost to enable them to do so. This stack has 
gone on for many years, and has never been known to fail. The situation is on a bank opened to the 
north, but screened by trees from the south. A platform of large rough flag-stones forms the founda- 
tion upon wliich the ice is broken and piled, in the form of a parallelogram, its section being a 
triangle, with its base shorter than its sides. When finished, it is covered with about eighteen inches 
of thatch, winch is again svu-rounded by large hm'dles thickly thatched. This is opened without 
scruple as the ice is wanted, and Mr. M'Intosh, the gardener there, says he would not advise any one 
to build an ice-house ; but it is a work of great cost to get together so unlimited a quantity of ice. 
From all I have been able to collect upon the subject of making ice-stacks, I think, in general, that 
they may be regarded rather as useful auxiliaries, than as substitutes for a good ice-house ; I say useful 
auxiliaries, inasmuch as they enable you to postpone the opening of the house till the autumnal months. 
At Easter and Whitsuntide, when most families resort for a short time to their country seats, d&me ice 
is wanted, and if the main stock is opened, its wasting is much accelerated. 
There shoidd always be a provision for carrying off the water which is collected on the roof of 
an ice-house, as it should never be allowed to fall on the ground or to satm-ate the side- walls ; the 
best situation for it is on the side of a steep and dry bank. 
Much expense in the construction of ice-houses might be avoided by a little consideration ; the 
common practice is to build them in the shape of an inverted cone, this form allowing the ice, as it 
wastes, to sink into a compact mass. They may, however, be formed square, and of a much less expen- 
sive material than bricks. A simple watthng of wood, just to prevent the ice from touching the earth, 
with a thickly-thatched roof, where the other conditions which have been mentioned are fulfilled, are all 
that is necessary. Thus, with a few simple and comparatively cheap and rustic materials, and a little 
knowledge of the laws which govern the diffusion of heat by absorption and radiation, the owner of a 
villa residence may be enabled to enjoy, in common with the owner of the princely palace, a store of 
ice, and there can be little doubt but that such will soon be the case. 
If the hints here thrown out should be instrumental in promoting this object, the writer wiU feel 
that his attention has been directed to a useful end. 
[The above communication contains some excellent advice, which may be acted upon with profit 
by most people. The ice-house under the charge of the writer is covered with rockwork and plants, 
and, being in an unsheltered situation, the ice did not keep well. It was, therefore, fovmd necessary 
to take very great pains in filling the house, pounding the ice very small, and converting every 
layer of two or three inches in thickness into a solid mass, by the use of boiling water, which filled 
up the interstices between the small pieces of ice. Under this management the supply was extended 
nearly two months longer than in previous years. The house being domed over, " a man hole" 
was left in the centi-e of the dome, for the purpose of filling it more completely than was possible 
thi'ough the side door ; and, to save the trouble of removing the straw from the entrance to the well 
every time ice was wanted, we resolved to take the supply through the " man hole," by letting a boy 
down, and drawing the supply up with a bucket. This was found a great improvement, inasmuch as 
no litter was made, and a supply could be taken without filling the house with warm air, because 
the air in the well being colder, and of com-se heavier, than the external aii' on a warm summer day, 
no change could possibly take place. We used also to ventilate the house occasionally, by removing 
the cover of the " man hole" dm-ing the night. This arrangement we fomid to answer a good purpose, 
and we think it quite worthy the attention of those about to erect an ice-house, for which purpose no 
better directions can be furnished than those supphed by Mr. Bailey. — A.] 
