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

"The Ice Crop: How to Harvest, Store, Ship and Use Ice" by Theron L. Hiles is a handbook from the 1800s, designed to guide those in the ice business. It acts like a step-by-step guide for anyone, like farmers or ice sellers, needing to know the best ways to gather, keep, and move ice. The book also shares cool ways to use ice, like special recipes for icy treats and drinks. At the beginning, the author explains why ice became so important for staying healthy, comfortable, and getting things done in factories, especially as the ice business grew bigger. The author then looks back at how making ice in the United States changed from just a little bit of trading to a huge business that helped keep food fresh and hospitals running. It starts by illustrating the hard work that goes into getting ice ready to use showing readers the detail that goes into an ice harvest before the book shares how the ice is useful.