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supposed liability to accidents. If cattle arc to enter it, 18 in. of coai-se gravel, or stones
covered with 6 in. of line gravel, will not be too much. Sometimes these basins are
lined with pavement, tiles, or even lead ; and the last material is the best, where complete
dryness is an object around the margin.
2209. Tanks, o r cistei-ns (Jig . 664.) arc generally excavations in the earth, lined with
masonry, and sometimes raised 2 ft. or 3 ft. above it. This masonry is always built
with mortar which sets or hardens under water, as the Dorking and other sorts of
lime, gypsum, and any lime mixed with oxide of iron, in the form of what is called
Roman cement, or Puzzolana earth. (D a v y ’s E lem ents o f A g r. Chem., leet. vii.) To
protect this, the bottom of the cistern or basin is sometimes covered with 6 in. or 8 in.
of cla)% Sometimes the bottom of the excavation for a pond or tank is naturally a
retentive clay, while the sides are of porous earth. In this case, the simplest way is to
raise a wall, or vertical stratum of puddle (Jig . 665.), from the horizontal stratum of clay,
to within a few inches of the surface of the ground.
S e c t. II. Anom alous B u ild ing s.
2210. CoUecting a nd preserving ice, rea rin g bees, ^c., however unsuitable or discordant
they may appear, it has long been the custom to delegate to the care of the gardener.
In some cases also he has the care of the dove-house, fish-ponds, aviary, a menagerie of
wild beasts, and places for rabbits, &c. ; but we shall only consider the ice-house, apiary,
and aviary, as legitimately belonging to gardening, leaving the others to the care of the
gamekeeper, or to constitute a particular department in domestic or rui-al economy.
That the subject of anomalous buildings may not occur again, we shall here conclude it
by treating also of thcir management.
Su b se ct. 1. O f the Ice-house and its Management.
2211. T he ice-house. Ice is kept on the Continent in cellars, at a greater or less
depth irom the surface according to the climate. These cellars are without windows,
suiTounded by very thick walls, and entered by double and treble doors, sometimes placed
in angular or circuitous passages, and always witli intervals of several feet between them.
Sometimes precautions are taken to cai-ry off any water which may arise from a partial
thaw, by fonning gutters across the floor, and covering them with a grating of strong
lattice-work, leading to a cesspool in the passage, whence the water can be taken out by
utensils without opening the inner door ; but very frequently full confidence is had in the
coolness of tho situation, especially if the siuTounding soil be dry. Ice is kept in the
cellars of confectioners, and also by some of the mai-ket-gardeners, in heaps, with a
very thick covering of straw or reeds.
2212. T o keep ice in sacks o r heaps in the open a ir,
an elevated _ circular platform (Jig. 666. a ) is raised of
earth ; on this the ice is piled up in a conical form dming
a severe fi'ost, and the addition of water enables the
builder to form the cone very steep. On this cone
wheat-straw is laid a foot in thickness (b ), over this a
stratum of faggot-wood or spray (c ), and finally another
thick stratum of thatch or long litter of any sort (d ).
In this way ice will keep a yeai-, care being taken to
expose it to the air as short a time as possible in taking
out supplies.
2213. T he fo rm o f ice-houses commonly adopted at
country-seats, both in Britain and in France, is generally
that of an inverted cone, or rather hen’s egg with
the broad end uppermost (fig . 667.).
2214. T h e p rop er situ a tio n f o r a n ice-house is a dry spot of ground, as, wherever there
IS moisture, the ice will be liable to dissolve ; of course, in all strong soils which retain
the wet, too much care cannot be taken to make drains aU round the house to carry off
the moisture. The situation should lilcewise bo elevated, that there may be descent
enough to convey off any wet that may arise near it, or from the ice melting.
_ 2215. Th e depth and diameter o f the ice-w ell should be proportioned to the quantity of
ice wanted ; but it is always best to have sufficient room, as when the house is well built
it will keep the ice two or three years : and there will be this advantage in haring it
large enough to contain ice for two years’ consumption,—that if a mild winter should
occur, when there is not ice to be had, there will be a stock in the house to supply the
want. Where tho quantity wanted is not gi-eat, a weU of 6 ft. diameter, and 8 ft.
deep, WÜ1 be large enough ; but for a large consumption, it should not be less than
9 rt. or 10 ft. in diameter, and as many deep.
2216. T h e excavation f o r the ice-well, where the situation is either of a dry, chalky,
gravelly, or sandy kind, may be made entirely below tho surface of the ground ; but in
strong loamy, clayey, or moist ground, it will be better to raise the well so high above
the surface, as that there may be no danger from the wetness of the soil.
2217. I n building ihe ice-w ell there should be a space about 2 ft. deep left at the
bottom (fig . 667. a ), for receiving any moisture which may drain from the ice ; and a
small underground drain (b ),
containing a stop or trap for
the exclusion of air (c), should
be laid from this, to can-y off
the wet. Over the space at the
bottom (a) should be placed
a strong gi-ate of wood or an
old cart-wheel, to let the moisture
fall through, which may
at any time be produced by the
melting of the ice. The sides
of the well (d ) must be walled
up with brick or stone at
least 2 ft. thick ; or the wall
may be built hollow. When
the proper height is attained,
the wall may be arched over
with two arches with a vacuity
between, leaving in the centre a hole for the admission of the ice (e), and in the
side a door for taking it out (/). This door, in order the better to exclude the air,
should open into a porch (g ) with the three other doors, the spaces between which should
be filled with straw to exclude more effectually the heat of the atmosphere. The doors
should not be on hinges, bnt be made in two or three parts, falling in a rebate, or
groove, from the top ; this makes the removal of the straw in the porch unnecessary,
when taking out supplies. The whole being covered first with a layer of tempered clay
and next with a hill of earth, the appearance will not be disagreeable (Jig. 668.), aud
may be made ornamental.
2218. Management. When the house is finished, it should have time to chy before the
ice is put into it ; as when the walls are moist, the damp of them frequently dissolves the
ice. At the bottom of the well, upon the wooden grate, some small faggots should be
laid ; and if upon these a layer of reeds be placed smooth for the ice to rest upon, it will
be better than straw, which is commonly nsed. In the choice of the ice, the thinner it
is, the better it may be broken to powder; as tbe smaller it is broken, the better it will
unite when put into the well. In putting it in, it should be rammed close, and a space
loft between it and the wall of the well, by straw being placed for the purpose, so as to
give passage to any moisture that may be collected by the dissolving of the ice on the top
or otherwise. If snow bo used instead of ice, it ought to be pressed veiy firmly together,
so as to exclude air, and in fact approach in texture to ice. To aid in consolidating hoth
ice and snow, a littlo water may be occasionally poured over it from the rose of a
watering-pot. An experienced gardener, in filling his ice-house, after laying down the
ice outside tho door, pounds it into particles not larger than those of sand or salt. He
then can-ies it into the house, and throws it into the ioe-well, in which a man is placed
with a rammer to heat and ram it closely ; occasionally sprinkling it with a little water to
consolidate the whole. Wlien this water is impregnated with salt at the rate of 10 lbs. to
10 gallons, and poured on the ice in such quantities as to saturate it completely, the ice
will become as firm as rook, aud will keep three times as long as when common water
is used. It will also he found to keep much longer when exposed to the air. The
reason is to be found in the well-known chemical fact, that salt water, and consequently
salted ice, has a less capacity for heat than fresh water or fresh ice. {E n c y c . o f C ott.
A rc h ., § 737.)
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