Harvested Cornfield And Barn Under Snow In Winter Stock Photography

Snowstorm blankets FingerLakes region in March. Snowfog everywhere. Red barns started in the late 1700s, farmers looking to shield their barns` wood from the elements, and keeping the inside warmer, began experimenting with ways to make their own protective paint. A recipe consisting of skimmed milk, lime and red iron oxide created a rusty-colored mixture that became popular among farmers because it was cheap to make and lasted for years. Farmers were able to easily obtain iron oxide the compound that lends natural red clay its coppery color from soil. Linseed oil derived from flax plants was also used to seal bare wood against rotting, and it stained the wood a dark coral hue. The barns were plentiful and most common from the seventeenth through the early nineteenth centuries in New York State. Many barns have been preserved to this day.