Читать книгу The Ice Crop: How to Harvest, Store, Ship and Use Ice онлайн

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Development of Methods.—The progress made in the methods and conveniences for securing the natural ice crop, and in the construction of storage houses, has kept pace with the growth of the demand. Originally, axes and saws comprised the dealers’ outfit. Now, a modern plant is replete with tools and appliances, whose manufacture is a distinct calling, and may comprise vessels, cars, wagons, immense storage houses, where upward of one hundred thousand tons of ice are gathered under one roof, also city supply depots and wharfs, all of which are equipped with special regard to handling this product.

Extent of the Ice Industry.—The annual consumption of natural and manufactured ice is very great. By adding to this the equivalent, in tons of ice, of the work performed by refrigerator machines, in the various industries in which they are used, the grand total is estimated to exceed twenty million tons of ice used each year.

The capital invested in carrying on this business is not less than twenty-eight million dollars. Employment, constant and temporary, is afforded by the ice trade to about ninety thousand persons and twenty-five thousand horses.