Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-08-30

nnnsuHy-nxgsxmpunIInuIn1ln
lis very important thats general
plan Of improving the roads ia
district should be considered as a
whole; and the successful carrying
out Of this plan would Of necessity
require operationsextending through
several years. It is necessary to be
some time employed in any pursuit
and to have considerable theoretical
or practical knowledge respecting il
before one comes to have any love
for it, or to take any pride in the
practice Of it. A man having the
roads Of district under his charge
| for Eve or ten years would feel the
responsibility Of his position and
would not resort to the miserable
make-shifts that are practiced now
by overseers who know that they
will be relieved from duty on the
expiration of the year for which they
were chosen. They would be more
attentive to examining roads as they
travel over the country, would con-
suit with engineers, contractors and
other persons, who have knowledge
In reIationto the business, and would
procure such books as are in the
market, on the art Of road making.
Lastly, they would cooperate with
other similar officers in the town in
relation to general plans Of improy-
ing all the roads OF the town.
Another thing that would tend to
making better roads would be the
owning, by every district, Of the
most approved implements for the
construction Of roads. Among these
should be scrapers, plows, a harrow,
and a very heavy roller. Not half
attention enough IS paid, in the west,
to finishing upa road after 1t Is built.
The earth that is thrown up should
contain no large, hard Jumps, loose
stones, or thick turfs, for these will
cause depression in the road-bed, as
soon as the first vehicle passes over
them, and every succeeding one that
passes will only serve to make the
irregularity greater. Aroller should
be employed all the time the earth is
being thrown up, which, together
with a harrow, will tend to make
the track uniformly smooth and
hard. We often see road bed 80
badly formed that 1t will be absolute
Iy Stunned by the first travellers that
pass, they choosing to drive in the
ditch, or on the side next the fence,
to urging their horses over such a
mass Of Irregularities; and 1t is not
until excessive rains have made It
absolutely necessary, that any one
will venture over such route. But
there are other times when the roller
should be called into requisition. 1t
Is nh excellent plan to go over every
road through tho district as the
ground Is freezing after thaw. This
will insure good, smooth track till
the occurrence Of the next warm
weather, or the next rain fall. In
all cases where ruts have been formed
the plow should precede the roller,
throwing the earth, which has been
cast up by the passing wheels, back
into the hole. A few hours use Of a
heavy roller ut the times we have
indicated would insure an excellent
road-bed for q considerable portion
Of the year, and at time when roads
are much used for marketing crops,
hauling wood and fencing. With
the exception Of Lockwood pave.
ment, or n McAda,nized track, there
are few better surfaces to drive over
than prairie eatth entirely smooth
and compactly frozen.---Prairie
Farmer.