The National tribune., 1892-12-01
Wool Table.
The sheep were shorn April 1916.
MAKING GRAVEL ROADS.


Isaac B. Potter, in Good Roads for October,
gives directions how to- make good gravel
road. Here is what he recommends:
In the construction Of a gravel road it will
be necessary III most cases to excavate to
depth of about eight inches for the full width
of the proposed roadway, giving each side of
your excavation a nearly vertical slant, so that
it will hold the gravel aud prevent caying and
sioughng off at the sides The bottom OF this
excavation should be given gradual slope
each way from tho center outward to corre-
spond with the outline adopted for the finished
roadway. When the excavation is done 1T will
be better, and will certainly insure more per-
manent road if the sub grade or bottom of the
excavation can be rolled with roller Of from
three TO FIVE tons in weight. Rolling is not,
however really essential to the construction
OF good gravel road, where the snbsoil is firm
and likely to maintain its condition OF hard
ness A layer of say, five inches of good gravel
mot necessarily the best; unscreened gravel,
if of fair quality, may be used for the bottom
layer may now be put in and raked into an
even layer over the entire sub-grade, after
which this gravel layer may be subjected to
the wheels of passing traffic till it becomes
fairly compact While this process is going on
it will be necessary to keep the ruts and un-
even deprcssions filed as fast as they are formed.
In ordinary cases one man will be sufficient to
wide, during the process of compacting the top
surface
If you use roller, remember that the sides
of the road should have your first attention.
and that the work of compact!ng the layers Of
gravel should proceed from each side toward
the CENTER so as to counteract the tendency OF
gravel to work out from tho center toward the
sides.
1t is best to remember that in every road
dryness and hardness generally go together;
that the artificial layer of six or eight or moro
inches in thickness is put on not TO sustain
the loaded wagons, but rather to endure the
wear and preserve uniformity OF surface.
The underlying earth is the real sustaining
foundation, and if this is soft or insecure in
any marked degree, both the road surface and
the traffic will suffer. for these are both held
and sustained by the earth.
This under layer should. when we'll COM
pacted, be covered by good gravel, binding
material being necessary in cases where the
gravel will not compact readily in its natural
condition. But it is highly important that
| all earthly materials be excluded from the clean
gravel, except so far as may be necessary to IN
| sure the ompactng of the surface.
| 1t is well to remember that the final rolling
| cannot be too well done, and that heavy roll
| Ter should be used for the finishing work if
possible.
HOW LONG TO KEEP a COW.
The question often arises in the minds OF
| dairv farmers as to how many years COW can
maintain profitable flow of milk. Among
| the Holanders it is the fashion to slaughter
| the most of their cows after eight years OF age,
| says the farmers RcuieW In America with this
| as with most othor uestiebs we have been run.
| ming by guess There has been no concerted
effort to carefully solve this question. Mr..
Edwards, of st. Adams, England, with dairy
herd of Shorthorns, has prepared table
| covering tho performance OF 20 registered
| cows, from the first calf to the seventh. The
! British DARN Farmer publishes the table and
| comments as follows on the result: We do
not remember to have before seen table show
ing the quantity of milk given by each cow at
ter the several periods oil caivlhg. we nave
| hitherto been under the impression that COW
after her fourth calf gave more milk than at
any other period Of her lactation, but tho table
shows that not to be the case, and makes 1t clear
that COW for milking purposes is just as pfoht-
able, and even more SO, after her sixth or sew
enth calf as at any other PERIOD
sHELTERING THE STOCK PAYS.
Stock we'll wintered is half summored, and
tho reason is that animals which have been
neglected in Winter get very poor. Ihey don
get nutriment enough to keep lhcm growing
and by the time Summer is ended nave just
begun to fatten a little Every farmer should
have barns for his stock, says writer IN Farn,ei
and Breeder, both for the big profit there is in
them and to be humane to the dumb brutes.
To comprehend the animals feeling rightly
just imagine that we had to lie out in the cold
snow, mud, and rain. Every person who has
stock should have kind feelings for them
Think of it, you who have net sufficient stable
room, and you will undoubtedly prepare some
kind of shelter. You can put up sheds even j
you have to cover them with straw, which vii
be better than none at all. Stock owners, ge
ready and build. Don't put it off any longer
You can feed your stock on one-haf TIT
you can by letting them stay out doors in bat
! weather