St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-01-17
CHEAP COUNTRY ROADS.



CHEAP COUNTRY RoADs.
Ese Pissss WHARF Dare Bsas, Opes DatsAs1
and WooaeA Colveses Arc Used
Plowboy, Oneida, Kan, writes Orange
most good among the rural population
under existing conditions u discus
sion Of the hest practical methods OF
building and maintaining good dirt
roads At least expense I do not sp'
prove OF tho proposed plan Of doing
away with the small road district and
placing the roads Of whole township
under the control Of one man. II would
bring the ONCE moro into politics. and ]
fear the tendency would Be to give the
moro public roads between the towns
moro than their Just share Of attention.
Also in time Of high water. when bridges
are washed out and prompt action 10 n.
quired simultaneously over alazye area.
the work would not be done 20 quickly
- when divided between several super.
vis0rs; neither would the one super.
visor feel the personal interest In all
the roads that II taken BY the Officers
under the present system. Let the
small district remain. but elect the SUI
pervisor for term Of three or i've
years 20 he can not only lay his plans
but have time To- carry them out Lot
the wages be sufficient to recompenso Q
good man for his time. and You, farm
ers. vote for such . man irrespective Of
party lines. regret to say that some
Of Us. do too much shirking and lying
in-the-shade when we 60 on the road =
''work," when we ought to 1t least b
willing to do decent days work q
have the road smooth and straight
To maintain good roads good drainage
Is necessary, and when properly CON
structed the open side ditch r the
most practical and efficient The exs
pense Of artificial under-drainage pro
oludes discussion of its merits hero
The bitches should not b deeper thas
necessary. and should be of as uniform
depth ~ possible. with good outlets
provided in all low places whore Watss
would stand without them. Let the
roadway be Of medium width, rounded
evenly and uniformly from the outside
Of one ditch to the outside Of the other
with the center sufficiently elevated T.
readily carry surplus water into the
bitches. For culverts. stone arches ars
Of course superior to wood, but We win
have to pass them, along with paving
and undertaking. fora large part a
our country. have found boxes made
Of two-inch plank. using oak fog tho ton
more satisfactory than sewer pipe. Be
careful to mako them sufficiently large
and put good plank wings 1t the ends
to prevent the banks being washed
away. 1t is not . good plan 70 cover
the plank with earth. Is they soon ro>
under it. On either side Of these cuL
verts mud holes are sometimes formed,
and 1t is common practice to I'LL thess
with earth taken out near the end ol
the culvert whero IL II handy ard soft
easy to plOw. But mud il mighty
poor material 20 fill mud hole with. II
such cases 1t will pay to draw better mS
terial from sope distance. fs4
The practice Of plowing up the beste1
track where 1t follows the center Of the
road should not b followed. Let II
remain for solid foundation ON which
to build . new road-bed. In addition.ta
the use OF tho grader and the small
scrapers. each district should b pro
vided with good steel pillow and b 70
Quired to keep it bright snd In good
order. and use it intelligently. The
crooked slovenly plowing often done
even where there is . chance to do nics
straight work. would b . diserace to .
Chinaman with his crooked stick. II
instead Of starting the grades directly
in the Sod . couple Of furrows vert
drawn by stakes. for . starter. woald q
not be An advantage? When the road
side intended TO be worked IL in sod, II
should b plowed up in the fall. using's
sharp plow and taking narrow furrova
except in case Of prairie sod when
regular prairie breaker should b used
and the furrows laid nat a
There II another point 70 which ]
wish 70 call attention. In travelina
one often sees the, roadside occupied 4
. great extent by noxious weeds. such
- cockleburs, thlstles. smartweed. jim
SON, etc. producing seed which viii b
scattered BY wind and water. BY rah
bits. dogs and stock to the lands a
good, careful farmers often miles die
tant Therefore. whenever possible
the roadside should Be left in good
shape to be run over with . mower and
the weeds cut before they 70 70 SEED
Let ~ take more interest in having ON
roads moro uniformly good; for NO mat
ter how far We are going or how rood
he most OF the road II, No always have
10 load accordinG to the worst pert ~