3-46 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[September, 
easy to get within gun shot of them, as they con¬ 
stantly make off in rabbit fashion, to a safe dis¬ 
tance, where they sit until their pursuer comes 
almost within range, when they move on again. 
They are much frightened at the long shadow of 
the hunter which the low Arctic sun casts upon 
the snow, and in this respect are like deer, and 
the fact must be borne in mind by the hunter, if he 
would be successful in capturing his timid game. 
All those who have eaten the flesh of the Polar 
Hare agree that it is fine in flavor, far surpassing 
that of other hares. The species can be domesti¬ 
cated and become handsome tame pets. Cap¬ 
tain Ross says, of one he had: “It could not endure 
to be carressed, but was exceedingly fond of com¬ 
pany, and would sit for hours listening to a conver¬ 
sation, which was no sooner ended than he would 
retire to his cabin; he was a continual source of 
amusement by his great sagacity and playfulness.” 
From Editorial “ Notes by the Way." 
An Ice-House Above Ground. 
Simple — Easily Constructed — Effective — Ice 
for 50 Cents a Ton. 
Ice is not only a comfort and a luxury, but it is 
very useful on every farm—particularly where 
milch cows are kept—as well as in every house. A 
village friend of ours, who buys his ice from the 
dealer’s wagon, asserts that his ice bill is fully met 
by the saving in coal and food. He argues thus : 
Food, especially meats, keeps fresh and good 
so much longer in the ice-chest that cooking is re¬ 
quired far less frequently in hot weather, while 
very much less food becomes stale and wasted— 
a double economy. Where ice is abundantly sup¬ 
plied by regular dealers 
at low rates it is, per¬ 
haps, usually cheaper 
to buy the amount 
needed for ordinary 
family use. But where 
much is required, and 
especially where the 
ice wagon does not 
come around every 
day or two, as is the 
case at country re¬ 
sidences, it is best to have one’s own ice-house. 
And it is but a small matter to get up one that will 
hold 15 to 25 tons, and keep it well through the 
season.—As an illustration, we describe one we re¬ 
cently saw on the farm of Charles H. Warner, in 
Lima, Livingston County, N. Y. It stands on level 
ground, entirely above the surface. It is a new cne 
erected in place of a similar one that has been ser¬ 
viceable for 15 or 20 years. As this one cost less 
than $30, all told, and is filled by the farm help 
when there is little else to do, we may reckon the 
annual expense, interest included, not over $5, or 
at most $10, for 16 to 20 tons of ice—enough to 
give a large supply, 
say 125 lbs. a day, 
from April 1 to De¬ 
cember 1. — Descrip- 
tion: The base (fig. 
1 ) is a frame of 8 by 
8 -inch hewn or saw¬ 
ed timber, forming a 
square 12 by 12 feet. 
This is laid on a 
stone foundation, or 
on corner posts set 
in the ground, and 
filled underneath 
with stones and 
Fig. 2.— VERTICAL SECTION. morta r if accessi¬ 
ble, or earthing up will answer. A similar square 
frame is made for the plates, and this is sup¬ 
ported at the four corners with 8 by 8-inch posts, 
eight feet long, and by 2 by 8-inch studs, say three 
on each of three sides, and two as door posts on 
the front side. The outside (fig. 3) is covered with 
inch boards. Rough pine boards, somewhat knot¬ 
ty, will answer. Mr. Warner’s cost $16 per 1,000 
feet. The cracks may be covered with narrow 
battening. Mr. W. thinks the battens not neces¬ 
sary. Inch boards, laid horizontally, line the inside 
up to the plates, and the 8-inch space between is 
filled with sawdust. The flooring is simply boards 
Fig. 3.— THE ICE-HOUSE COMPLETE. 
laid upon the ground or upon small cobble-stones. 
The roof is only one thickness of inch boards, with 
batten pieces over the cracks, and is supported by 
three horizontal strips on each side, laid across raft¬ 
ers. The rafters are scantling, beveled and nailed 
together at the top, and set into or firmly spiked to 
the plates. About half of the middle of the ridge is 
cut out, leaving an opening 4 or 5 inches wide, and 
over this is a cap, supported by a saddle piece at each 
end of it, leaving an opening on each side under it 
for ventilation. The cap extends far enough over 
to keep out the rain. The doors are a single thick¬ 
ness of inch boards. The outside boards can be 
rough, or planed aud painted to correspond with 
the house or other buildings.—When filling the 
house, 5 or 6 inches of straw and sawdust are put 
on the floor, and the ice packed solidly on this, but 
a space of 6 or 8 inches is left on all sides, which is 
packed in with sawdust. Any spaces or cracks be¬ 
tween the cakes of ice are also filled with sawdust. 
Short pieces of horizontal loose boards support the 
sawdust inside the door. These are put in as the 
filling proceeds, and taken out as the ice is remov¬ 
ed from time to time. The ice is filled in some dis¬ 
tance above the plates, and finally covered over 
with a foot or so of sawdust. This suffices to keep 
out the sun and air heat. Experience proves that 
this surrounding of sawdust on all sides will 
keep the ice well during the entire summer season.— 
Those not having access to lakes or ponds, can eas¬ 
ily make an artificial pond in a prairie slough, or 
other depression of ground, large enough to fur¬ 
nish ice for filling a small house like the above. In 
this, there is a mass of ice say 9 feet square, or 
about two and one-third tons for each foot in bight. 
Harvesting Broom-Corn. 
The quality and therefore the value of the brush 
of the Broom-corn depends iu great measure upon 
the time at which it is harvested. The most suc¬ 
cessful growers agree that the cuttiug should begin 
“ as soon as the blossoms begin to fall,” or in other 
words at that time when the seeds begin to form. 
At this time the brush is of the best color, heaviest, 
and the most durable. The manner of harvesting 
differs somewhat with the variety and whether a 
particular color is sought or not. Some time before 
the brush is cut, the broom-corn stalks are lopped, 
which consists in going through the rows and 
breaking down the tops a foot or so below the 
base of the brush. The object of this operation is, 
A BALE OF BROOM-CORN. 
first, to keep the brush straight, and secondly to 
accelerate its ripening. The top of the plant 
still retains sufficient communication with the 
stalk to allow of a thorough maturing of the brush. 
The tabling consists in breaking down the stalks 
at about 30 inches from the ground. Each two 
rows are tabled together, the stalks of one row 
being crossed diagonally upon those of the other, 
thus making a sort of a “table” with intermediate 
spaces affording room for the cutters. The cutting 
is done with a sharp knife, the stalk being severed 
six or eight inches below the base of the brush, aud 
therefore some distance above the point where the 
stalk was lopped. The brush should be cured 
under cover, as exposure to the hot sun renders it 
brittle and the elasticity characteristic of a good 
broom is lost. A shed of any sort will do for small 
quantities; for larger, a drying house will be neces¬ 
sary. The next step is the removal of the 6eed, 
which is done by a long toothed curry-comb, a 
hatchel, or if there are larger quantities, a cylinder 
scraper is to be employed, run by horse or other 
power. The brush is then put on racks to dry, 
where it remains until thoroughly cured and is 
ready for baling. Much depends upon the charac¬ 
ter of the baling; in fact, all the difference between 
a good profit and no profit. Compact, square bales, 
with even ends, and the brush so put in that it will 
come out straight, must be made, or only a low 
price will be obtained. The proper size of a bale 
is 3 feet 10 inches long, 2 feet wide and 30 inches 
deep. It should be made as shown in the accom¬ 
panying engraving, stout laths being placed at the 
corners and the whole is securely bound by a 
number of wires which pass around the bale. 
The Sheep Bot-Fly. 
There are a number of species of bot-flies, mem¬ 
bers of the same family ( (Estridce ), and are inter¬ 
esting from the peculiar localities which they select 
to pass their larvae state, and the trouble which 
they thereby cause the animals within which they 
reside. The ox bot-fly plants its eggs in the skin 
of cattle, where the larvae 
grow to large size. The 
horse bot-fly selects the 
stomach of the borse for the 
place of its development, 
while other species inhabit 
the internal organs of mice, 
squirrels, rabbits, etc. The 
Sheep Bot-fly, or Gad-fly 
((Estrus ovis), selects the nostrils of its host as the 
most fitting place for the abode of its young. Figure 
1 represents the female fly, which is brown, and yel¬ 
low-banded. As soon as the eggs hatch, the larvae 
make their way up the nostrils to the frontal si¬ 
nuses, where they attach themselves by little hooks 
that are abundant around its mouth, and continue 
to feed upon the mucus always found in the loca¬ 
tion selected. This en¬ 
trance takes place in 
early summer, aud the 
larvae, which are of a 
creamy - white color Fig. dppeb side. 
while young, gradually attain their full size and 
a dirty brown color. In this state the grub re¬ 
mains until the following spring, when it loosens 
its hold, aud passesdown the nostrils, causinggreat 
irritation and discomfort to the sheep. Figures 2 
and 3 show the larvae with the upper and lower sides, 
respectively, in view. After dropping from the 
animal, the larvae burrow into the ground, and pass 
into the inactive pupa state. They remain as 
chrysalids for six or eight 
weeks, and then come 
forth as two-winged flies, 
in appearance much like 
the common house-fly,but 
somewhat larger. The Fig. 3.— lower side. 
flies soon provide for a new generation by deposit¬ 
ing eggs in the nostrils of the sheep. As to the in¬ 
jurious effects of the Bot-fly, it may be said that 
opinions differ greatly. It is probable that many 
cases of death assigned to the bots, have resulted 
from other causes. However small the danger may 
be, the annoyance to the sheep is enough to lead 
flock-owners to prefer that their flocks may be ex¬ 
empt from attacks. The remedies fall naturally 
under these heads: Change of situation, preven¬ 
tion of the deposit of eggs, and removing the 
larvae. Dr. Thomas, in his 9th report as the State 
Entomologist of Illinois, in his article on this sub- 
