GOSH, YOU LOOK GOOD IN RED

There's a practical reason America's wooden barns are painted red, the Farmers' Almanac says.

Early farmers discovered linseed oil, which has a brownish-orange color, preserved lumber well. For added effect, they mixed in milk, lime - and rust.

"The milk and lime made the oil stick to the wood better," the Almanac says. "The iron in the rust prevented fungus and mildew from growing. This was especially helpful against rain and snow."

The extra ingredients produced a darker shade of red.

"When new kinds of paint came along, people kept painting barns red," the Almanac say. "It reminded them of the country and the past."

[Photo: Public Domain]