Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-10-11
Rat-Proof Corn-Crib.

The farmer VINO mas not raL-prOOI
corn-crib has fearful leakage in his
pocket-book. There are about three
million farms of twenty acres or over
in this country. II one will notice the
waste in the course Of a year from
rats in the corn-crib, and then consid-
err that there are millions of cribs in
the land where the same kind of use
less waste is going on, one may have
some conception of the annual loss to
farmers from rats, or rather, because
of the want of care in building corn
cribs. We have heard farmers say,
at is no use to worry about rats.
YOU can't get rid of them," We would
saw so too if we were all of that opin-
ion. But we know that rat proof corn
cribs can be built, ard that we can
effectually protect our corn from rats,
for we have done it for more than i've
years.
We crib about three thousand bush
els each year. and We put it up with
perfect confidence that none OF it will
be destroyed by rats. 1t is not nee
essary to set corn-crib up on stills
and cover them with an inverted tin
pan. as one often sees. The value OF
such CRIB as a rat-proof institution
depends wholly on the tin pans. They
are frail and perishable, and soon rust
out or the wagon hub demolishes them
As soon as a rat can pass one of them
he has access to the crib of corn. w
want our corn cribs substantial and
convent, as well as rat-proof, They
should he arranged with windows
above for filling the crib, and on q
level with the floor for emptying the
crib; but these openings, like the
doors, must not be left open, but must
be closed every time one leaves the
crib.
Our crib is on ston foundation.
sixteen inches above ground. After
the crib was ready, before laying the
floor, we laid thoroughly painted sheet
iron over the foundations, on the sllls
and joists, where the rats could by
any chance reach to eat holes in the
floor. The sheet iron securely arranged
and painted again, we laid the floor
on it.
We believe that painted sheet iron
will last as long as any part of the crib
and we know that it is rat-proof and
the wagons can not destroy it. Sc
much for the rat-proof bottom. But
| h,Uv oh hn oi1aS oOHS
The sides Of the crib are twelve
feet high, and lathed up and dOwr
with choice white oak Stats, three
inches by one and garter placed
one.third of an inch apart. Since
thoroughly seasoned they have hal
inch crack, through which a rat Car
not pass. To prevent the possibility
of rats running up the sides over The
plates, we placed board on top o
the plates projecting six inches, which
a rat can not pass. We are careful
not to allow anything piled against thu
crib on which rat may get resting
place.
With the precautions named crib:
may be made rat-proof, and at the
Same time convenient and substantial
We would say that our crib is s
double one with driveway fourteen
feet wide, where We can always work
under cover, and find protection for
hay or any load that we wish to get
in quickly out of the wet.
We have never yet seen a rat-prooi
crib where the driveway was foored
on level with the cribs, for there is
too great opportunity for rat to
gnaw their way,in. Iffoored,it should
be 50 far below the crib floors as to
give no chance for rats to guaw in
Then, too, ifthe drive floor is laid close
to the ground the rats will burru un
der it unless greater care be used tc
prevent it.
We can not tell exactly how mucl
more it costs to build rat-proof Grill
than one not so. That expense woulC
be governed more by the stlye of thu
crib than anything else. A we'll bull
crib can be made more thoroughly rat
proof and at less cost than a rough
loosely-built crib.
The rat>proof attachments Of GU
crib did not cost $40 additional.
If the farmer owns 100 acres of Ian,
he can we'll afford to put $500 into
substantially, rat-proof CRIB, granar.
and wagon shed, all under one roc
aud on one foundation. In fact, sue
one is loosing money every yea
he does without such a crib.