Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1870-11-23

country thoroughfares. 1t has smooth
surface, after it has been little used.
and affords an admirable foothold for
horses. 1t is expeditiously laid ard per.
haps demands as little expense for care
and maintenance as any other capable Of
equal endurance and service. 'a' o.
1t is now fifty years or thereabouts
since Macadam introduced this celebrated
system, and it is quite doubtful whether
the next fifty years will give the world
anything better for all purposes. But, as
we have already said, this system is not
at the present, nor is it probable that it
soon will be available for the greater part
of American thoroughfares. % t'ass 'e
Roads in this country must, from the
nature of the case, be constructed of such
materials as are available Immediately
along their lines, and must necessarily he
ihoio vi leSS Imperfect. '-"
In this as in other countries the great
enemy of roads is frost, and the only wav
to even partially prevent its ravages is to
construct roads high enough to allow tho
rough drainage. The fiat surfaces per.
mtted on most roads in this country is
their mort radical defect. The result is
rivers of mud in spring and autumn, and
frozen ruts Of Undesirable uglincss and
discomfort in winter until such time as the
snow covers and fills them. auqa3 nl5
A few days labor devoted to thorough
ditching along the sides Of roads and ele-
waiting the centers where they have settled
below the proper grades would greatly
mitigate the evils complained of This IS
generally done, when done at all, by
throwing back on the road the soil exca.
waited from the bitches, very erroaeous
method and almost sheer waste of labor.
Such soil is generally composed of CON-
minuted and pulverized material washed
off from the road, and will only Temporal
rily pack. AS soon as it becomes very
dry in summer it grinds up into dust
heap, and is blown off by winds, and
washed of again by rains. a9r7l
All soil used to raise the level of roads.
should be new soil not the washings Of
the roads. which latter should be carted.
away. Where roads are much travelled,
these washings are valuable manure
and it would pay well to cart them into
the lands lying along such road, from
which soil Of inferior fertility might be
taken to form the roadways. ~...
Wherever practicable, deep hard bed
of stone or timber should be laid below
the reach of frost, upon which the sur.
face material should be distributed. Gra-
vel stands unriyaled for road surfaces, but
it is not available in many localities. Bro
ken stone, however, is obtainable oftentlmes
where gravel cannot be got, and answers the,
purpose very well.
| We have seen a road laid through
swamp made with bed of rough logs,
well sunk down, and covered with mix.
tpre of blue clay and broken stone, which
was excellent in all respects, having al
most as good and permanent surface as
macadam.
1t is usual to work country roads early
in the summer, to repair the defects caus-
ed by spring upheavals. This done, they
are generally left till the ensuing season.
when the same operation is repeated. But
a little labor late in the fall would pay
well on most roads. This labor should
be expended in securing the proper drain
age. e..
All sluices should be eopened if stopped,
the roads raised where the summer wear
and tear have depressed them, and the
surfaces made smooth, so that the water
may run off with the utmost facility
Neglect in these particulars is always
paid for in the miring Of teams and wags
ons, and in wear and tear of both animals
and vehicles. ,..t..t..1-s.t..,......,