1847. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
34 s * 
1846. The appearance of the crop was most favora¬ 
ble on the subsoiled portion during the time it was 
growing, and when threshed, gave the following re¬ 
sults:—The subsoiled portion yielded 8 quarters, 3 
bushels, per acre, with 364 cwt. of straw; the part 
not subsoiled, yielded 7 quarters, 4 bushels, 3 pecks, 
per acre, with 28 cwt. of straw—making a difference 
in favor of subsoiling of 6 bushels, 1 peck of grain, and 
85 cwt. of straw per acre. 
ICE-HOUSES. 
Few persons who have ever known the advantages 
which ice affords during the warm season, would be 
willing to forgo the use of the article. It was formerly 
regarded as a luxury which thel’ich only could enjoy, 
but, fortunately, it is now afforded at so cheap a rate 
as to be within the reach of all. In cities it may read¬ 
ily be obtained from those who make a business of stor¬ 
ing it for sale, and in the country each one may secure 
his own supply at a cheap rate. Every farmer, unless 
he has extraordinary advantages in regard to the use 
of cold spring water, and an airy, cold cellar, should 
have an ice-house. A reservoir formed by damming a 
small stream, such as almost every farm affords, will 
yield as much ice as will be wanted for the supply of 
a family. In general, however, there are ponds or 
streams within a few miles from which an abundant 
supply can be obtained. 
It is now pretty well settled that ice-houses should 
Fig - . 80. Section of the Ice-house above ground. 
be built chiefly or entirely above ground. Those which 
have generally been built by the great ice-dealers and 
exporters, have not been much sunk into the earth. It 
has been ascertained that the dampness of the ground 
operates against the preservation of the ice. 
Mr. Downing, in the first volume, of the Horticul¬ 
turist , gives an extract from a letter received from Mr. 
N. J. Wyeth, of Cambridge, Mass., a gentleman 
who has had much experience in the management of 
ice, and is largely concerned in its exportation. From 
Mr. W.’s letter. w T e take the following description of an 
ice-house above ground : 
“An ice-house above ground should be built upon the 
plan of having a double partition, with the hollow space 
between filled with some non-conducting substance. 
“ In the first place, the frame of the sides should be 
formed of two ranges of upright joists , six by four in¬ 
ches j the lower ends of the joists should be put into 
the ground without any sill, which is apt to let air pass 
through. These two ranges of joists should be about 
two feet and one-half a part at the bottom, and two 
feet at the top. At the top these joists should be 
morticed into the cross-beams which are to support the 
upper floor. The joists in the two ranges should be 
placed each opposite another. They should then be 
lined or faced on one side, with rough boarding, wfiiich 
need not be very.ticht. This boarding should be nailed 
to those edges of the joists nearest each other, so that 
one range of joists shall be outside the building, and 
the other inside the ice-room or vault. (Fig. 81.) 
Fig. 81. Manner of nailing the boards to the joists. 
“ The space between these boardings or partitions 
should be filled with wet tan, or sawdust, whichever is 
cheapest or most easily obtained. The reason fdt using 
wet material for filling the space is, that during winter 
it freezes, and until it is again thawed, little or no foe 
will melt at the sides of the vault. 
“ The bottom of the foe vault should be filled about 
a foot deep with small blocks of wood ; these are lev¬ 
elled and covered with wood shavings, over which a 
strong plank floor should be laid to receive the ice. 
“ Upon the’beams above the vault, a pretty tight 
floor should also be laid, and this floor should be eov- 
ered several inches deep with dry tan or sawdust. The 
roof of the ice-house should have considerable pitch, 
and the space between the upper floor and the roof 
should be ventilated by a lattice window at each gable 
end, or something equivalent, to pass out the warm air 
which will accumulate beneath the roof. A door must 
be provided in the side of the vault to fill and discharge 
it; but it should always be closed up higher than the 
ice, and when not in use should be kept closed alto¬ 
gether.” 
Action of White Lead with Oil. —Every one may 
have noticed that paint in which white lead is mixed, 
after it has been applied awhile, cracks, and scales off. 
This is explained by the fact that lead exerts a chemi¬ 
cal action on oils, in consequence of which the oil, 
when in combination with the lead, continues to har¬ 
den, until at. last, under the various changes of the at¬ 
mosphere, it becomes brittle, breaks into scales, and 
cleaves off. On account of this action, it is thought 
that no white lead should be put inlo what is called 
the “ priming” coat, in painting buildings or articles 
which are not designed to be white. Black paint is 
more durable than white. This may have been noticed 
where, as on guide-boards, &c-, black letters have 
been formed on a white ground. The black remains 
perfect long after the surrounding parts have mould¬ 
ered away, leaving the letters standing in “ relief.” 
This is explained as follows : The black paint is made 
chiefly of lamp-black, which substance is nearly pure 
carbon, and is known to be one of the most imperisha¬ 
ble substances in nature—that it is not changed by the 
vegetable in combination with which it is used as paint, 
in consequence of which the slightest film of the com¬ 
pound is a most durable protection against the destruc¬ 
tive influences of thewuather. 
Crops in Illinois. —The crops in Bureau co., ave¬ 
rage the present season, 15 bushels per acre for wheat, 
40 for corn, and 40 to 50 for oats. 
