A corn crib or corncrib is a type of

granary A granary, also known as a grain house and historically as a granarium in Latin, is a post-harvest storage building primarily for grains or seeds. Granaries are typically built above the ground to prevent spoilage and protect the stored grains o ...

used to dry and store

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

. It may also be known as a cornhouse or corn house.

Overview

After the harvest and while still on the cob, corn is placed in the crib either with or without the

husk Husk (or hull) in botany is the outer shell or coating of a seed. In the United States, the term husk often refers to the leafy outer covering of an Ear (botany), ear of maize (corn) as it grows on the plant. Literally, a husk or hull includes t ...

. The typical corn crib has slats in its walls to allow air to circulate through the corn, both allowing it to dry initially and helping it stay dry. The slats expose the corn to pests, so corn cribs are elevated beyond the reach of rodents. Although granaries had been used around the world in all cultures who grew grain for food, corn cribs were first used by Native Americans and then quickly adopted by European settlers. Struggling European settlers often raided corn cribs for food. As a result, at least some Native groups abandoned the corn crib and buried food in caches. Corn crib designs vary greatly. They were originally made of wood, but other materials such as concrete have also been used. The basic corn crib consists of a roofed bin elevated on posts. Another typical early American design has walls slanted outward. Most of the larger designs have an open space in the middle for accessing corn and promoting airflow. In larger designs, this space was often used to store wagons. By the early 20th century, the term "corn crib" was applied to large barns that contained many individual bins of corn.Indiana Department of Natural Resources
/ref> Today a typical corn crib on many farms is a cylindrical cage of galvanized wire fencing covered by a metal roof formed of

corrugated galvanised iron Corrugated galvanised iron (CGI) or steel, colloquially corrugated iron (near universal), wriggly tin (taken from UK military slang), pailing (in Caribbean English), corrugated sheet metal (in North America), zinc (in Cyprus and Nigeria) or ...

Gallery

File:Ambar 1.jpg, Hambar from 1888 in Banovci,

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, during winter File:Ambar 2.jpg, Hambar from 1888 in Banovci,

, during summer File:Hórreo en Sietes.jpg,

Asturias Asturias (; ; ) officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensive with the provinces of Spain, province of Asturias and contains some of the territory t ...

File:Espigueiros de Soajo.jpg, The 24 granite '' Espigueiros'' of Soajo,

Peneda-Gerês National Park Peneda-Gerês National Park (, ), also known simply as Gerês, is a national park in Norte Region, Portugal. Created in May 1971, it is the oldest protected area and the only national park in Portugal. It covers an area of , occupying the Distric ...

, Portugal File:Corn crib ambar russia.jpg, alt=, 19th-century corn crib in Russia

References

External links

Grain Quality Task Force, Purdue U. 10/1996
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corn Crib Granaries Maize production Native American architecture

Overview

See also

Gallery

References

External links