Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1909 — Farm and Garden [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Farm and Garden

THE COUNTRY ICEHOUSE. An Important Adjunct to the Up to Date Farm. Bjr PROFESSOR OSCAR ERF, Ohio Agricultural college. In this age of advanced farming the Icehouse is uu Important adjunct. The most economical building Is the one so constructed that it will preserve the greatest amount of Ice in proportion to the amount of ice stored. Waste in an Icehouse Is largely caused by meltage from the top, sides and bottom. In a properly constructed icehouse and when the . ice Is properly packed and cared for no waste should take place from the inside of the pile of ice. The melting from the sides, bottom arjfl top is caused by insufficient insulation. To Insulate to such an extent that no meltage would take place would be Impracticable, but with a thorough

understanding of the construction of an icehouse a minimum amount of meltage cau be obtained. The waste from the bottom is generally considered to be the greatest. The amount of Ice melted in the bottom of the icehouse varies from one to six feet during the year, depending upon the construction of the floor. If the icehouse is provided with an air tight floor, with the ice laid on at least eighteen inches of dry sawdust, the bottom waste rarely exceeds twelve inches during the year. On the other hand, if the ice is piled in the icehouse on the bare ground without any insulation under it or any provision made for drainage the meltage frequently is six feet. The side and top meltage is not so great, but it frequently ranges from one to three feet, depending upon the insulation. The manner of insulation is shown in the cut of cross section of icehouse. The icehouse should be located in the coolest place possible and always above ground. The size of the building must be determined by the amount of Ice used during the year. For a

man who keeps about twenty cows and sells the milk an icehouse 14 by 14 by 12 feet high is of sufficient size. However, in uo case should an icehouse be smaller than 12 by 12 by 10 feet high, because the outside surface is too great compared with the volume, and therefore too much ice is wasted in proportion to the amount used. In the plans submitted the framework Is made by laying a 2 by 4 sill on the concrete foundation. Fasten this to the foundation by cementing a few bolts into the concrete and allowing them to extend through the 2 by 4 sill. Two by four studding is then placed upon this sill sixttfen inches apart from center to center. The rafters for the roof are likewise made of 2 by 4’s, placed the same distance apart as the studding, l>ut the pnrlin plate upon the 2 by 4 studding should be at least six inches wide. The outside of studding may be boarded either with common sheeting and paper, upon which poplar siding is nailed, or with patent siding or ship lap siding, the latter being the cheapest and requiring only a single thickness of board. The roof should be made with not less than one-half to one-third pitch and preferably covered with shingles, for shingles are better Insulators than either slate or metal. However, paper may sometimes be used to good advantage. A cupola or flue should be built upon the roof to allow for the removal of the warm air from the top of the ice. The ventilator may be placed In the gable end Instead of the cupola and when so placed acts for the same purpose. A continuous door should bp out in one end to allow the ice. to be put In. Tills door may extend from the gable down to within five feet of the bottom. In the cut, Ice and milk house combined, the skip elevation shows? how the ■scheme has the advantage of utilizing the water from the icehouse here shown for cooling the milk. No ice needs to be removed from the icehouse. It operates automatically. If the weather is warm the ice melts more rapidly and keeps water in the tank at the reaulred tempera tore.

Mors Money In Live Btock Than Grain. The value of farm'animals is Increasing rapidly, suggesting that farmers of the west are going more and more into general farming, not depending so much on raising grain for market. The statement is made by the American Cultivator. The value of farm animals is placed at about $5,000,000,000, or one-flfth of the entire value of farm property. The value of receipts at leading market centers for about 60,000.000 bead of cattle, horses, hogs and mules will total well over a billion dollars, this sum of the leading markets only, and probably nearly as much more live stock is sold at the smaller markets, as it is figured that about two-fifths of the farm live stock goes to market during one year. Of the annual Income from live stock, cattle make up about five-eighths, hogs one-fourth and the balance sheep, horses and mules. The great iron and steel Industry is surpassed in value of exports by the shipments qjt meat and dairy products. The tendency of all lines of animal products Is toward increase, while the country is becoming less and less an exporter of grain. The farmers are wisely securing a double profit by turning their grain into the home market and selling it as a finished product In the form of meat, butter and cheese. The United States has more dairy cows (22,244,446) than any other country in the world, more horses, 23,000,532; more mules, 4,056,390; more swine, 57,976,861, and (except British India) more cattle, 73.246,573.

Mexican Timber. According to data in t lie dairy consular and trade reports, there are from 20.000.000 to 25.000.000 acres of first class timber in Mexico. The stands of pine and oak are found In the states of Chihuahua. Durango. Jalisco. Mlchoacan and Guerrero and are said to compare favorably with similar stands in this country as regards quality, diameter and length of clear body. In addition to the open pine stands there are said to occur some twenty-five varieties of hard wood not well known to the lumber markets. Descriptive notes are given of the wood of many of these varieties, together with data on the chicle industry, transportation developments, rating and prices of wood, cost of logging and manufacturing and statistics of the lumber trade with the United States for the years 1905 and 1906 and a list of wholesale prices of American lumber f. o. b. City of Mexico. Duck, Dennum and corduroy work coats at wholesale prices. All sizes. Be sure and buy yourself one. DUVALL & LUNDY.

CROSS SECTION OF ICEHOUSE.

ICE AND MILK HOUSE COMBINED.