The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1880-04-30
Deer Greek Farmers Club.


Il. H.. IN.
+; Hays, reported through Mr., Silver, chairman
They especially commended Mr.. Lees pure-bred
Short Horn cattle, which were purchased from l..
II. Long, of Kentucky. The herd embraces some
remarkably fine specimens of the breed, including
Lady, Heddleston Cd and Mary Leslie, both Of
Mr. Lee also has 20 head of fattening cattle in his
stables all in good condition They NOTICED q field
they were informed, had been In grass for 81 years
Mr. Lee will have of pasture for 80 head of
stock. Mr.. Lee wlntered all his stock from the
corn and fodder on IL acres. This the committee
thought was surprising and secret some of the
club have not learned Mr. Lee has some
remarkable that the Berkshircs We're twice
IA large the Chesters, all being Of the same age
the white hogs 10 the barn yard through the winter
| They also noted Improvements in the buildings,
| the fine team of mules, the growing wheat, a
| garden of l = acres, &c.
ROAD MENDING.
The question for the evening was: " Roads
proper time to mend: best modes of mending and
| keeping in repair; sizes and best plans for cul-
VertS.'
James Lee said the rst point TO consider was the
| kind of soil on which the road is to be made on
sandy soils but little mending is needed On white
oak or heavy clay soils il is important to get the
water of as soon as possible. The best way to do
that is the question to solve. The road should be
well rounded in the middle, and a blind ditch run
! along the middle. The centre OF the road will
| then dry quickly and not wash out Roads should
be Inended as early in the spring as possible and
under no circumstances In the fall of the year
| Culverts are needed only at the foot of hill,
| where stream crosses the road On level places
| an opening, well turnpiked, may he made across
| the road, to carry the water over.
Judge Walters said his theory about mending
roads is for every man to make the roads he uses
urging upon the authorities to attend to them
| He spoke OF the energy and good 1udgmentrdis
played by Mr. Cheyney Hosllins, years ago, in
mending the roads In nelghborhood Of Phomas's
| Run, the good effects of which are apparent 10
| this day If farmers paid more attention to the
roads around them it would he beneficial not only
to the roads but also an example to the rest Of
| the county. On clay soils many roads are ruined
Them 100 deep As lit little fresh dri as n n"sshe
should be put in such roads. Instead Of digging
out the CUTTERS, take some earth from the sides Of
the gutter nearest the road and throw in the mid
die. Some roads would require four or five years
| continuous work to put them in good shape and
| ORDER without making bad roads. Mistakes are
made in placing breaks across the roads. Many of
| them are not necessary, but where needed they
should he made IN the shape of II letter \. Such
breaks will keep the water from the middle of the
| road and not prevent trotting. The best way to
make cilyerts is not to make them at all. j you
enough to carry OIL all the water. They can be
dispensed with BY making depressions in the road
piking them-not by simply hauling loads of large
| stone, shooting them in the road and throwing Il
| little dirt on them. Roads should be mended as
early In the spring as possible after the frost is out
and afterwards as they need it. All the mendng
should not be done at one time.
Johns II. Janney agreed with Judge Waters
except that he would have all clay land turnpiked
portion, II only mile, might be tnrnpiked every
year, with small stones; Where the soil Is good
| too much dirt is great detriment to good roads.
| 1t is a mistake to spend the money on ten miles
| this manner it would make the repair permanent.
| Sunken and macadamized water ways, except
where stream crosses, are better than culverts.
| 5. b. Silver said that where he lived they have
| much annoyance with the roads, on account of
the soil, which holds the water. He did not believe
| the water would drain OF even if ditch were
placed in the middle Of the road, the soil being
tenacious: The only remedy j. TO turnpike the
| roads. The expense might be divided between the
| III enough
up the ruts In the spring, but there is no Use in
| spending any amount of money except i'll turn
w. Smithson Forwood thought the road system
bad one and said that until we have bettersys-
| mend all the roads adjoining them. Then each
| would try to excel the others; All clay roads
should be turnpiked Roads should be higher in
| the middle than on the sides. The drains across
| the road should be of half moon shape. The roads
| should be given out in shorter sections. Farmers
| should be paid by the county for hauling stone
| where it is necessary to have any portion turn
pked. The roads should be mendeh early in the
year-say in April. and all the money should not
| be laid out at one time.
John Moores thought the LIST of May early enough
| tomend the roads, but the holes should be smooth
ed Off early in the season. If we had less thorough
| mending, as it is called and more smoothing up,
it would be better for the roads. TurnpilIing, if
properly DONE will cost about 81 per yard of stone.
| The cost would depend somewhat upon the hard
ness of the stone Every stone should be cracked,
and the bed of stone should be from II TO 20 inches
| deep, according to the land. Cracked stone will
wear easily and make solid road with II smooth
surface. From to Binchos of stone on top should
| be broken small. Some culyerts are needed at
running streams. Fora spring branch II box prop
| ery put down and thoroughly buried is the best.
All roads should be formed so that the water will
| seek the sides.
| WIN. Munnikhuysen said that too much dirt Is
thrown into the road. II ia better to haul it Off.
Many Of our roads will keep good the greater part
| of the year without any work. He was not an ad-
vocate for turnpikes except in low places On dry
ground stone should he broken, but It IS not neces
sary in wet ground, as the large stones have ten
dency to sink lower all the time Small stone
| should always be put on top. He was opposed to
| culyeris, except tor branch. Plenty Of room
should he allowed for the water to go through,
| even in heavy rains. good foundation should
| be dug and the bottom of the stream should be
paved with long stones, slanting up the stream
| The gravel and sand viii lodge against them and
make n smooth bottom. Roads should be mended
about the LIST of May and some money be reserved
| to go over them afterwards. Water must meyer
be allowed to run down the middle of the road.
NJ. 7. Murphy was of opinion that the roads
should be mended as soon in the spring as possible.
Thunder storms frequently come in the latter part
of April, and do much damage, unless the CUTTERS
are cleaned out SO rs to carry off the water. If
the county would take the money from the side.
roads, which are not much used, and Apply It to the
main roads, turnpiklng the low places 1t would be
more satisfactory. Too many culyerts are made.
| Where stream is large enough for bridge it
should be bridged, and some standard should be
adopted to decide whether Il bridge Cuyert
should be erected, where one or the other IS need
| ed
| Thos. A. Hays said the best way and time to
mend roads depend on the nature of the soil.
| Clay or sticky soils should moi be mended before
| the 18th of May or later than midsummer. Turn
| piking is the only permanent way to mend such
roads and the cheapest in few years Soils of
| sandy nature could be partially mcnded, some
should he gone over several times before il is per-
| manently put In shape, and all the earth should
not be put on at one time. Breaks such as we
as Judge Walters describes, and be scarcely per-
ceptible in crossing them. Roads should be well
mendcd, and il 2j or 80 feet wide from gutter to
gutter, one foot higher in the middle. No ridges
should be leftalon the sides. On hilly roads only
| small cutters are needed but on fiat roads they
should be larger. Holes in the road should be
mended any time when not frozen, but earth
should never be thrown on mud Scrape it
out and put in gravel, sand or dry earth mot a
load of stoneJ and ram it in. 1t would pay to
bridge all streams. Would build walls of good
long stones, put heavy, sound, seasoned
plank no less than 10 feet long, and rails to side of
bridges; Culverts are often needed and shouldbe
culvert can be built as follows: Take planks
to 10 inches wide for the sides; saw the topand
inches long, and nail on crosswise. Then they can
be easily repaired. Give the culvert slight fall,
from to inches at the lower end. All culverts
Bennett H. Barnes said the first thing to be done
Is to have all the loose stones picked up May is
are needed they should be put in feet in width
with log one foot square on each side locust
should be the full width Of The road As little dirt
should be thrown on the road as possible. Soft
places should Mnnsdb be t turngdike a;,,, 49,
foot high in the middle, when the space used is
only 70 or IS feet wide, is too much, Six inches
would give fall enough. He thought if some of
the money were taken from the neghborhood
roads and applied to the main thoroughfares it
would be more satisfactory to farmers Was in
favor of culverts if properly made. Roads should
be mended early-say the LIST of May. we need
not expect to have good roads in winter unless we
turnpike them. Stones should be taken out of the
roads, and If turnpiked it should be done thor
oughly. Large stone may be placed in the bottom,
then stone inches in size, then stone of inches
The top stone should not be over an inch In size
Bridges at the bottom of hill should be raised at
least four feet In the course of time the hills
will wear away and m up the hollow. Culverts
should be made Of heavy white. oak TIMBER
roads. Road warrants are given out not because
the persons are most suitable To mend tho roads