As the warmer days and spring rains set in, the proper ventilation of the ice house is important. All steam or vapor arising from the ice should be gotten rid of as soon as possible. The various plans which are in use to attain this end, will be found in the chapter on wastage and care of ice in the house. As soon as the tools for harvesting are no longer required for use, they should be promptly gathered together, and inspected. All that have been broken, or damaged, should be bundled up and consigned to the manufacturer, to be put in thorough cutting order, and returned to the ice house, in the early fall. All other tools should be carefully cleaned, and all bright or polished steel coated with oil, to preserve from rust, cases strapped to plows and saws, and all neatly packed away in tool house, which should be dry. Snow scoops and scrapers are better for an occasional coat of paint, and, if stored in a dry, cool place, sheltered from the weather, will last much longer. It is a good plan to have all the tools inventoried directly after the cutting season, and they should be marked with the owner’s name or initials. The elevator machinery should also be inspected, and any defects noted, for early repair, the apron raised from the water, and the water shaft and fittings cleaned, and thoroughly oiled. The ice chain, if given a coat of slushing oil, will take no harm. All machinery which is exposed to the weather should be thoroughly coated with slushing oil. The engine should have attention, and all working parts be preserved from rust. All the brass trimmings on engines or boiler should be taken down, boxed, and stored in a secure place. SHIPPING ICE FROM THE FIELD.--While the ice house is being filled, winter shipments of ice may be made to points where supply stations are maintained distant from any cutting privilege. Large shipments are often made to points south of the frost line, or where the crop is deficient. To accommodate this traffic, loading platforms are built with connecting runs from the lower incline run. A switch is arranged by which the ice cakes can be directed, either on to the loading platform or into the ice house. Long trains of cars can be filled daily. At a single platform, ten to fifteen cars are loaded at one time, while a double platform will accommodate double the number. If the side tracks are placed at both sides of the platform, no time will be lost while cars are being switched, a train loaded on one track being switched out, and the track filled with empty cars, while loading proceeds in the cars on the other track. Diagrams of these platforms are shown at Fig. 52. Endless chains, with bars at short spaces, pass along the top of the platform, and carry a cake, at a regular speed, before each bar. (See Fig. 51.) A short doorway slide is placed between the car and platform, and a man, stationed at the car door with an ice hook, slides the cakes into the car as fast as the stowers can place them.