Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 February 1918 — Save Natural Ice For Use in Summer—Saves Ammonia as Well as Conserving Coal [ARTICLE]

Save Natural Ice For Use in Summer—Saves Ammonia as Well as Conserving Coal

(Prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture.) All who can possibly do so are urged by the United States department of agriculture to harvest a supply of natural ice this winter and store it for summer use. This is of vital importance at this time, for every ton gathered will help in the war-time conservation of ammonia which is necessary in the manufacture of ice.

Ammonia salts are regarded as an essential in the manufacture of certain fertilizers and the cost of fertilizers is dependent to some extent on the market value of "ammonia. Of extreme significance at this time, however, is the fact that the most important chemicals used in making ammonium nitrate and ’other explosives are readily made from ammonia and every quart of America’s already small supply of this substance that can be saved means more powerto America’s armies. Thus the farmer is interested in the conservation of ammonia not only from a national standpoint, but because of his personal Interests, Ammonia saved through harvesting of natural ice means more ammonia for fertilizers and more ammonia for ammunition. The man who .harvests Ice now and stores it in pits or ice houses, next summer may have the satisfaction of helping out his neighbor who depended on an ice plant. .• In addition to the saving of ammonia, conservation of coal is to be effected through the harvesting of natural ice. American ice factories and refrigerating plants, according to' figures of the. United States fuel administration, use annually 15,000,000 tons of coal.