First, an ordinary frame building with 2x4 inch studdings sheathed on the outside with drop siding with No. 3 flooring.  Inside of this sheathing 2x4 inch studs placed flatwise, sheathed on the inside with No. 3 flooring, and the six-inch space back of the studs filled with sawdust.  On the outside of this firing strips one-half foot are nailed, which are covered with linofelt.  One-half foot firing strips are nailed inside of this, and these also covered with linofelt.  To this again one-half foot firing strips are added, to which are nailed metal lath, and the whole is plastered with cement.  The floor both above and below is made of 2x12 joists, with No. 3 flooring nailed below the joints, the space between which is then filled with ten inches of saw dust, leaving an air space of two inches at the upper edge of the joists.  The joists are then covered with linofelt and then the linofelt covered with No. 3 flooring.

On the north and west sides I found it necessary to add one more waterproof coat of linofelt in order to make sure of keeping out the frost.

I have so far only finished up for cold storage one-half of the room, using the other half for a packing room, so that my present facilities are only 28x28 feet.  This room is cooled by eight inch pipes of galvanized iron, extending from the attic above to troughs near the floor, that are sloping so as to carry off the melted ice.  These pipes are on both sides about two feet apart.  The ice is pulled up into the attic by horsepower and broken up small enough into pieces to feed the pipes.  The amount of salt used with the ice depends upon how fast we want the ice to melt.  A large quantity of salt cools the storage down quicker.  In practice I find that it takes one hour for a man to elevate a ton of ice, chop it up and fill the pipes.  They hold something over a ton and must be filled every other day in ordinary September weather.  It will not do to let the pipes remain less than one-half full.  When the ice gets down that far, we have to fill again.

The total cost of my storage when it is entirely furnished up and the present capacity doubled will be about $3,000.00.  At present it holds 2,000 standard size apple boxes.

I find that it only pays to put in good fruit that in ordinary seasons will keep until the first of March and hold its flavor well and give good satisfaction on the market.  Icing stops about the middle of November.  The cost per box for storage is as follows:  Ice and salt, ten cents.  Interest on investment, six cents.  I have figured out carefully the entire cost of growing and storing apples, and find out that leaving out the interest on the value of the land, it will approximate forty-eight cents per bushel.  This includes cultivation, spraying, packing, and picking.  The question which now interests me is whether we can grow fruit good enough and stand the expense and compete with apples grown in the other good fruit sections of the country.