Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-11-21
Narnl 3Htfteets,
Observations in Road Making.

Cor Country Gentleman
read r. b. Brooks article on road
making with interest, and consider
the subject one of such Importance as
to justify any one who knows or
thinks he knows anything about 1t,
in having "say" on the subject.
1t is only necessary to observe u
few points to make good and per-
manent road, and the first OF these is
the grading. The road must not only
be thrown up as to be high above the
Water which may gather in the
bitches at the sides, but there must
he provision for drawing this water
off SO that it shall not stand and soft
en- the fill on which the road is made.
The grading of the road should be
done in the early part of the season,
not later than July, so that it can be
settled and compacted before the
"metal" is applied. 1t will always
be necessary to regrade few weeks
after the first grading, as some parts
of the road will settle more than
others, leaving depressions and inc
qualities which must be remedied.
] am quite sure that it is an expen-
sive mistake to make to put on large
amount Of metal at once. / have
seen 10 to IS inches of gravel put On
road at first, and after the surface is
packed solid, if you will dig down
you will find that underneath itthere
is several inches of gravel still loose
and unpacked. This holds enough
water to make the road spouty at
times during the winter and spring
when sudden thaw takes all the
frost out, and the road cuts through
much sooner than it would with
third less metal il 1t had been put on
at three different times, few inches
ut once, and each coating packed SOL
id before the next one was applied,
The first coat of metal may be coarser
than those used subsequently, but il
flat stone or boulders are used there
must be but a single layer of them,
and enough gravel or finely broken
stone top of them to keep them in
place, for ifa double layer of coarse
stone is used the top ones will work
to the surface.
After there is once fairly gooC
foundation for a road, would never
apply more than inches ofgravel a
once. This amount will all pacl
solid without a strata of loose grave
between the surface and foundation
AS will be the case if, as l have Otter
seen, s or 10 inches deep is put on a
once. l have watched this particula
point in road-making, and feel sur
that large saving in cost can b
made in this wsy and better road
No other work in road.makin,
counts for so much as little attention
to it while it is being packed. Rut
will open in the soft gravel and hol
the water. Some one should go owe
the road once a week with IA garde
rake and drag the pebbles and loos
gravel into the ruts until, when it
finally solid, there are no depression
to hold the water, for water standin
on it is what ruins a road.
Where there is long slope, sma
side.drains should be made ever
hundred feet to turn the water off il
to the side bitches. If these are mad
close together, it will not be necessf
ry to throw up high mound to tur
the water into the ditch, as this wi
be unpleasant to drive over at
full trot, but slight depression an
bank below it will catch the waite
think there should be laws passe
allowing the rOad-master to prohib
the drawing Of heavy loads for fe
days in the spring after the fro
comes out of the ground, or until II
roads settle. Often one days wor
with fourhorse team and heav
load will cut up a road and dama&
it to the amount of many dollars
mile, when by waiting few days,
an..@.s....ss...ss..l..