Farmer Boy Chapters 6 & 7

Ice House 1. Cut large cubes of ice from the pond 2. Load ice onto bobsled 3. Cover floor of ice-house with saw dust. 4. Place cubes of ice three inches apart 5. Fill space between cubes with saw dust 6. Cover cubes with three inches of saw dust 7. Continue alternating saw dust and cubes until ice-house is full.

History of Refrigeration do not copy Foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products will only remain fresh if kept cool. People used natural ice that was collected during the cold winter months and stored in icehouses, to keep their foods from spoiling. In 1748 a Scottish inventor named William Cullen designed an artificial refrigeration system. He never did anything with his discovery. The Civil War made it difficult for the South to get ice from the North, and at around the same time, there were many warm winters in the North. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention, and the need for artificial refrigeration brought out many inventors trying new designs. Refrigerated railcars were created, along with commercially available refrigeration units. By the 1900’s, companies such as General Electric, Kelvinator, Servel, and Frigidare all began manufacturing home refrigerators.

Filling the Ice House What was the weather for cutting ice? 65 When did they go out to cut the ice? 66 Why did father stop and put his hands over the horses noses? 66 How did French Joe dn Lazy John usually make their living? 67 Almano ran to the edge of the hole, wathcing the saw. Suddenly, right on the edge, what happened? So cold that the snow was like sand underfoot. A little water thrown into the air came down as tiny balls of ice. This was the perfect weather for cutting ice, because then the blocks were lifted from the pond, no water would drip and it would freeze instantly.

Filling the Ice House What did they put around the ice to keep it cold? What kept them warm? What would Mother make with the ice?

Ice do not copy Long before there were electric or propane freezers, like those of modern days, people used to cut ice blocks to keep their food cold. The ice blocks were cut, in the manner so vividly described in this chapter, and were then packed in sawdust and stored in icehouses. The sawdust acted as an insulator, keeping the cubes cold all through the hot summer months. If you want, do the following simple experiment. Try wrapping ice in different substances to see which one works as the best insulator. Some ideas: Styrofoam, newspaper, plastic bubble wrap, and tin foil. Which one melts the fastest? Which ice cube lasts the longest? What if you use larger pieces of ice? What if you put many ice cubes together? If you want this experiment to be simplified, you can get a cooler (and pack it full of ice) and get a similar size container (without a lid) and pack it full of the same amount of ice. How long does it take each to melt? The cooler will take longer because it is insulated. Ice will probably keep in a cooler for many days (depending on the size of the cooler).

Bath Night do not copy What strange new shape were some women now making their donuts? How did Royal and Almanzo decide to get water for the bath? What is the process they did for taking a bath? Who emptied the last bath water and when? What did Almanzo sleep in?

Bath Time Royal and Almanzo broke icicles off the house to fill the tub. They took the heated water from the tub on the stove and put it in the tub on the floor. The next person would empty the tub prior to their bath. Father would be the last one to take a bath. He emptied the tub in the morning.

Quickly put away your pencils and papers. Clear your tables. Its Time for your Looms