The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1885-10-21
WINTIGItING CORN.
practical Manner OF Arranging Corn
Cribs With View to Utility.


One of the objections often stated
against farmers is an assorted habit of
working on the hand to- mouth princi-
pie. In other wOrda. tc answer a tenn
porary purpose rather than a pcrma-
nont one. In the settlement of Il new
country this is often necessary from
tho want of money, where SO many
things must be accomplished, and is
unwarrantablc. But Il habit once fixed
is apt to be followed, and in no respect
more often than in cribbing corn. The
result is a loss from rated, bitter.
moldy, or rotten corn, and to degree
capable of paying all the way from 10
to ~ pof cent. on the investment nee
essary to build permanent cribs that
would keep tho corn perfectly from
year to year.
An examination as to tho result of
imperfectly-built cribs in dcterioratng
the value of corn, and the rule will ap-
ply mcasurcably to all grain. will show
that crib infested with rats and mice
tho difficulty is not alone in what tho
Vermin destroy by eating out the chit
or germ of the corn, but also from tho
effluvia arising from and contamnat-
ing the corn from their ncsting-places.
1t is also known that bitter corn arises
largely from fermentation of tho cob,
which, put in wet, does not dry out
properly. Mold is iuciiient decay frcr,
too compact storing when damp and
rotting is an advanced stage of decay.
The loss of few cents per bushol in
selling makes largo aggregate in tho
crop. Hence, however the crib is
built, it should be only of such size as
to give circulation OF air, immunity
from rain, and safety against vermin.
The writer has mover known a crib
made of rails, eight feet ut the bottom,
tlared to twelve feet at the top, and
covered securely from rain, to fail in
preserving corn perfectly il dry enough
to crib. Tho reason is, the air circu-
lates freely all around the crib. IL a
crib eight feet at bottom and twelve
feet at top should be extended. say,
100 feet, the case would be different,
and if the crib is uniformly twelve feet
wide the danger of injury will be in
creased in largo degree. Twelve
feet CRIBS arc not unusual in TIC dry
autumn and winter climate OF the
West, and if filled SO full that the rain
and snow cannot beat in under tho
roof. in ordinary seasons they keep tho
corn perfectly. In seasons when corn
does not ripcn perfectly, or when from
n long spell of foggy weather pcnctrat-
ing the crib, the corn becomes damp
through and through. If warm wealth
er ensucs before tho wind dries it out
the germ is attacked, producing bitter
ness and mold, and ut length rotten
ness ensucs.
The fact that corn kept compuctly in
wide cribs never dare be used for seed
is sufficient evidence that such arc not
calculated to season corn in tho best
manner for commercial uses. 1t is
questionable if it really is for animal
feeding purposes. 1t is therefore wise
economy that every farmer build crib
room enough to properly save all corn
that must remain with him after tho
first Of March or April.
In building crib there arc three
things to DC taken into consideration.
immunity from rats and other vormin,
provision against thc leakage of roofs,
and tho driving in OF rain or snow next
the caves, and safety from heating.
Protection against vcrmin is provided
10y clcvating the crib eighteen inches
above ground on posts, placing IN in
vertcd tin pan on u large, Hat, smooth
stone between the top Of tho post and
the sills of the crib. Danger from
lcaky roof is secured by proper in
clination-not less than II quarter pitch
and attention to keeping the roof
boards, il SO made, carefully nailed. A
roof OF groovcd boards, properly bat
tened, makes Il perfect roof. 1t should
DC Il double pitched roof for obvious
reasons, and extend over the sidcs of
tho crib twelve inches to prevent tho
drip from driving in on top of the corn.
II before snow is expected it be tempo
rarily boarded tight from under tho
caves, six inches below tho top cf the
corn, this boarding TO bc removed car
ly in tho spring, no danger from driv-
ing snow will be experienced.
10 prevent heating or fermentation
in the body Of crib twelve feet wide,
the writer has found tho following plan
safe and practicable: Form n skeleton
OF six-inch fencing two or three feet
wido at tho bottom and half tho height
Of tho crib. carried to sharp peak at
tho top of tho skeleton, running the en-
tire length of tho crib. the spaces be-
tween tho boards six inches wide.
Thus you virtually divide tho crib into
two, the bases of each being only four
and half or five feet wide. Tho crib
will thus have horizontal and YER
tical circulation Of air through the con-
tire, and at mere nominal cost COM
pared to that of llaring tho outsidos Of
tho crib The projection Of tho roof
prevents drip being blown in. that
striking the sides never penetrating to
do damage. II, in addition. tho side
strips are put on diagonally instead OF
vertically. this drip will be distributed
still moro equally along tho outside
and quickly dries. Built in tho man
nor described, tho writer has never had
corn spoil that was put in tho crib in
tho ordinarily dry condition rs 1t comes
from tho field at husking time, nor
evon when other cribs OF the same di-
mensions, but no, so protected, were
seriously injured.