The extremely flammable ammonia was used as refrigerant, leading to a reluctance in adoption of the
mechanical contraption, especially when the natural ice
industry was flourishing — after all, one enterprising New Englander had kickstarted a global
trade in ice (see The Frozen Water Trade), figuring how to make a commodity out of an item that nature supplied in abundance all winter
trade in ice (see The Frozen Water
Trade), figuring how to make a commodity out of an item that nature supplied in abundance all winter
Trade), figuring how to make a commodity out of an item that nature supplied in abundance all winter long.