The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-03-04
For The Cecil Wing.
On ROAD MENDING.
NEAR CHERRY HILL, Feb. %, 81

Mr. EDlToR'-In former communication
| sc;d something about road mcnding, and
now would beg leave, respectfully, TO sncccs!
to supervisors the propricty Of blowing up t1c
whole bed of the road wher,on the read lacks
side drains and is dished or hollow sufficient
to allow Tic wa or to run IN the middle Of the
road. BY putting on a s'rcng team and pillow
well manned, drawn b. oXcr, ccmmtncingin
the centre of the road; thence ina straight Inc
or with the road as the case may be as far as
YOU design then return and back your lurrows
together and thus continue till your road is
the proper width. Then 90 back and begin
in the same place, and back up again threw
inr each f,mrow towards the middle Of the
road and repeat this process from three to five
"o,nd instead of hollow; then clean out the
side drains with tie Shovel and then roll with
heavy roller, and the road is fit for use.
The road will then be straight and hand
some and all Of wild, h, and you will make
more good road in one day with two or three
hands than you can make with ten hands ac-
cording to the course usually pursued. The
best time to manage road in this way is in
the spring before the ground becomes hard.
1t may be found necessary in quick sand
and white clay sub soils to deyia.e little
from the course lad G,wna above. In all such
soils, it VIII be better, before shovcling out
the side drains, to lay course of
cedar or laurel or some other kind of brush a.
cross the road, close together butt and top, in
straight line in .hc middle of the road, to
prevent the wheels from cutting down till the
road becomes solid. Then sink the side drains
about as dc y again and shovel them out and
cover the brush lightly then roll again, and
Won have it secure Too much care then can
not DC taken to protect the new work from
! frcshcts: the sooner the water can he drained
| from the road the better and in all cases,
should not he nc9 elected, wherever practica bic.
In many places this cannot be done f. ON both
sides, without Il drain across the road and
when this is the case, without great care you
| will cause mud hole and do more harm than
good and ifyou don't make mud hole, if you
lig a narrow ditch and throw the dirt in Il
ridge on one side you cndangcr the travellers
tongue, if he should chance to have his mouth
open when he receives the shock of paSsin .
over your canal, and ton to one he will bitcit.
II And that's not all the damage he may sustain
!. he may break spring, or get pitched out
H there fore be careful, when you break the road
for the above purpose, dig you drain Level
with your side drains, and put in trunk or
make bridge and if this is found impractica-
hle and your drain must be open DIG it out
wide say from 6 to 10 feet; be governed in the
width by the depth of the drains. This drain
should he regularly graded and made square
h across the read and should be closely laid
over with poles or stones sufficiently deep and
solid to prevent the wheels from moving OF
4 breaking through tLtm, while the water pass
/ cs over them.
I Sometimes it may he found necessary to LET
I the water across Tie road, when to do so q
ridge of dirt across the road is all that is &c
! ceSSary without a drain, and wherever tho
bed of the road can lie spared it should not be
broken, but care in this case should be takcr
and the bank or ridge of dirt should have some
4 poles or stones under it; else the wheels will
4 cut through it; and further the above caution
should be used or you may cause mud hole
above it, and to prevent accident the said
ridge of dirt should be wide in proportion tC
its height and in no case less than feet wide
and should be also square across the road.
There is a machine called a "road scrapcr,
a in use in some places which ought to be intro
duccd here; in many cases it would he grea
4 saving of labor; and further there ought to b.
a substantial road-plow in each district, ant
both these should be psocured by the County
as hut very few farme's have the right kin'
of plows to work on the roads. In fact,
team sufficiently strong to do proper work Oh
the roads would break half the plows in tn
County in one season. LITTLE ELK.