A dictionary of modern gardening - University Library

IC E 322 ICE
scription of an approved ice-house and
dairy united, lias been contributed by
John C. Boyd, Esq., of Danville, Pa.
Mr. B. says, " For various purposes it
is far superior to the best constructed
spring-house; permitting to the largest
eitent all the luxuries of sweet cream
Fig. 94.
"A represents the ice-house, proper.
B dairy-room. C the steps thereto.
J) window in dairy-room. £ entrance
into the ice-house.
" The whole length, 24 feet: width
]5 feet; pit sunk, 5 feet in ground;
stone wall carried 2h feet above ground ;
making depth of stone work 7i feet.
On stone work, a frame of 8 feet to the
square is placed. Weather-boarded
on the outside in usual manner. Over
milk house, on top of wall is placed,
joist ] 8 inches from centre to centre,
on which a tight floor is laid, which
forms a convenient room for keeping
various things connected with the dairy.
" The partition between the icehouse
and milk-house is formed by
setting up studding from the sill in the
bottom of the ice-house to the square
under the roof, and weather-boarded
with inch boards halved together, well
nailed, so as to prevent any charcoal
dust, or dust of the bark from dropping
down into the milk trough.
" The inside frame is made 12 inches
less all round than the inside of main
building. That is to say, a space of
12 inches, (and it would be better if it
and milk, the preservation of fresh
meat, pies, fruit, &c., for a length of
time. Mine has been in use two years,
and during that period, we have not
had any milk to sour, which cannot be
said by those dependent on springhouses."
were 15,) must be left between the two
frames—to be filled in with charcoal
or tanner's bark, well dried, and well
rammed when filled.
The inside frame may be very simply
and cheaply made, by taking four pieces
of scantling, say 4 by 6, and halving
them together—and planking, or double
boarding up or down on the inside
—three of those frames—one oh the
floor—one midway, and the other at
top, are sufficient.
" The floor, which is the most particular
part, should be made by placing
in the bottom good oak sills, with a
descent from the back part of an apartment
to milk-house of 15 inches. The
sills well bedded in clay, tan bark or
charcoal. Mine is bedded in common
yellow clay, well pounded in.
" The floor should be well laid, either
of plank, jointed, or boards double, and
small grooves run along to carry ice
water down to the milk trough. This
floor should be the size of the ice room
before inside frame is erected. On that
part of the floor which passes under the
partition between the ice and milkhouses,
small strips of a quarter of an