Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-08-30
COUNTRY ROADS.
A Valuable Bulletin From the Univer-
sity of Tennessee.

VI ~ NNNhtAO AOoNos lOhoOlI III
other one thing outside of politics is
just now attracting so much atten-
ton, or is being so seriously consid-
cred. In recognition OF this fact the
Experiment Station of the Universe
ty Of Tennessee, at Knoxville, has
just issued Bulletin on the subject,
which was prepared by Prof. VIM.
w. Carson.
The bulletin refers briefly to the
large annual loss occasioned by bad
roads and to the advance in values
that would surely follow their inn
provement, and then proceeds to dis
cuss the matter as mechanical prob
lem, and shows by suitable tables the
effect produced on the traction by the
different grades and kinds of roads.
For example, one of the tables shows
that, on level, the traction of gravel
is I, on McAdam ], and on plank 1.5,
what it is on dirt. The same table
shows that, on any kind of road, the
traction increases by about II per
cent. of the traction on a level dirt
road for each foot of rise per hundred.
1t also shows that the traction is
about the same on level dirt road,
on gravel road rising and feet
per hundred, on a MacAdam rising
6, or on plank road rising 7.
Another table compares, for each
road, the traction on a grade with
that on a level. For example, it
shows that grade of nine feet to the
hundred makes the traction twice as
great as on q level if the road is dirt,
4 times as great if it is MacAdam,
8 times if plank, and II times if a
stone trackway.
This far the bulletin deals only
with the loss which steep grades in
flict, as a matter of ascent, by causing
teams to travel with fraction of the
loads which they could otherwise
haul. 1t next considers the damage
which they cause as a matter of deS
scent. 1t supposes a full load for one
horse on a level (Which is of course
different for different roads, to de-
scend various grades, and shows the
number of horses that would be need
ed to hold bac0 if no brakes were
used. For example, in descending q
grade of fifteen feet to the hundred,
and supposing the horses turned
around so as to hold back by pulling
on the traces, 4 horses would be need.
ed to hold back on MacAdam, 7 or
plank, and % on a stone trackway
to keep the wagon from running
away. The work of this many horses
must really be done in the descent il
some way or other, and it is necessa,
rily done in doing damage, such a.
in grinding the wheel and brake
block away against each other, or il
grinding or tearing up the road. Al
this hurtful work is reallys done
sooner or later, by the horse himself
In one of the tables, it is shown TO
different roads, how steep a grad
may be descended without spending
any of the horses work in this need
less and hurtful way.
1t is assumed that horse can, il
, an emergency, do double work for
short time, but that no more SHOULD
E ever be required of him. In othe
D words horse can properly be requir
ed to draw for a short time as heav,
. a load as two horses should be requiI
. ed to draw regularly over road @
. the same grade and condition. Dit
= ferent horse owners will doubles
hold different views as to whether
: horse can do more or less than thi
without injury to himself. But OF
o this assumption the writer shows tina
y the grade, for any road, which a full
u ly loaded wagon can ascend, withOu
n help, is the same that it can descen
IS without loss of work and damage [
n the vehicle or roadway. Hence h
holds that this grade, which is givel
for each kind of road in the first ia
IS BILE, is the steepest that should eve
Y be allowed in the country on tha
kind of road. A grade, therefore
" which would be entirely proper o
one kind of road would be highly in
. judicious and extravagant on anOthe
n kind.
Ne An approximate estimate is mad
re- of the amount of the horses wor
" consumed in the different ways, an
i methods of economizing suggested
g, 1t states, for example, that on a levt
d dirt road more than "a per cent of tn
" work done by the horse is spent i
> making alterations in the road itsel
The bulletin urges, in cases whel
l. money cannot be had to put create
widths in first class condition, thu
all roads be made as narrow as poss