Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-03-17
KENT COUNTY FARMERS.
An Interesting Institute Meeting at
Felton--An Essay "How to Make and
Maintain Good Roads'-. Other Topics.

FELTON,, March lu.-lncl regular monthly
meeting Of the Kent County Farmers In
stitute was held yesterday afternoon in
Grange Hall, this town, and was one of
the best attended Of any for many months,
there being nearly zoo representative farm
crs OF the county present, and some OF
them were from the extreme borders of
the county. Thomas B. Coursey, president
Of the institute, and who seldom is absent
from the meetings, was unable to attend
and Nicc.president j j. Rosa from Milford
took the chair and called the meeting to
order just after . O'Clock.
The regular order of business was gone
through with, after which the essays that
had been announced would be read were
called for The first called for was by u.
u. Bancroft on How to Make Farming
Pay" Mr.. Bancroft responded but eaid
he would rather give way to MIR. C. G.
Brown and his paper on How to Make
and Maintain Good Roads" As he
thought it was n subject that should be
well aired and fully discussed. Mr.. Brown
was then called and read his paper, which
was not long one but fully covered the
question and was full of interesting and
usc'i suggestions and practical expert
ences. The speaker opened his paper by
announcing that in foreign countries the
roads were made. supported and main
tanned by the national government and
this is the only country on the globe
where this is not so. Here as we all know.
the roads are maintained by taxation and
| the expenditure is governed entirely by
| the Levy Court. The United States gov
ernment ought to maintain the roads of
our country, as in foreign countries, and
| not expend so much on private institutions
| such as railroads, &c. The roads are bad
III too many parts of our country. What
VIC want is hard, smooth roads that the
| products of the rural districts can be
| urtya fnI irl- lxr With
| jolting and bruising them all mp as is now
the ease under the present system of road
| making.
Improve our roads and the adjacent
land will be enhanced in value, good
health will be promoted and the country
at large will be greatly benefited. Under
.tlle present system Of maintaining our
public roads the Levy Court has complete
control of their improvement. They levy
| the tax and appoint overseers for certain
sections of the county and make an appru-
| priation for that man to eXpend, and in
many cases he expends half the money
just when it is not needed and puts the
balance in his pocket. Very often men
are az pointed to the position of road over
seer or commissioner as reward for some
tritling service rendered his party and
know nothing about the work they are
expected to perform. To have good roads
we must have good men who understand
| the work as commissioners.
He then explained how so much time
was lost by the road overseers and their
| gang when work is begun on the road,
| which is Well-known to every citizen in
the State. As a rule the work is not begun
| at the proper time. The best time to i'm
prove the road is in March Just as soon us
the frost is all out of the ground and after
a hard rain or when the ground is wet
through to the depth of several inches.
| i- ha tfWx1a fr. ri. ntaA rzII ~,
road as with the ground wet when the
| furrow is turned it will easily pack while
! on the other hand If the work is not done
until the ground dries off and is pulverized
when dry it will give trouble at every
storm. The proper way to make a good
road the speaker said was to plow to the
depth of several inches and roll. Make u
mound in the centre and let the sides be
sloping A set of rules should be laid
down by the Levy Court governing this
| work and the members of that body
should pass over the road after the work
has been completed by the oversecr and il
| II is not done satisfactory not pay for it,.
Keep the appointments out of politics as
the present system of road making is far
from being satisfactory.
The subject was opened for discussion
4 by b. +. H. Woodall, who is now and has
been for several years past road overseer
in Cedar Creek hundred. He told his pro-
cess of making roads and improving them,
which was accepted by the institute us
being about the best plan. His experience
was about the same rs that cited by Mr..
| Brown in his paper. The only difference
in the way of making roads by the two
| men was that Mr, Brown said plow to the
centre, while Mr.. Wuodall said plow from
the centre, then use the scraper TO draw it
back again. The author of the essay said
the result would he the same, but he
a
the price Of the second working. Tho dis
cuSslon was also participated III by A. N.
Brown. +. X. Meredith, Charles Barker.
j. G. Brown, A. ". Slaymaker, J. Alex
ander Fulton, Il. H. Bancroft and others.
The general conclusion arrived III after
two hours of debate was that the process
of road making as put forth In the essay
read was the proper one. that the present
system should be improved or entirely
abolished as 1t is inadequate 10 the needs
and demands of the people; that n set of
rules governing the work be laid down by
| the Levy Court.
A committee consisting of L. Fl. Ban
croft, Charles Barker L: X. Meredith, w.
! NJ. wiz, &, e.. Brown. John Schabinger,
W. II. Allaband and John IIeyd was APP
pointed to meet the Levy Court on Tuesday
! afternoon and state to them the needs Of
the farmers in this line. 1t is thought a
personal conference would have more effect
than communication or any other means
of reaching them. The committee will re-
port at the next meeting OF The institute to
be held at the same place the second We'd
ncsday in April.
The next subject taken up was that of
the New England berry train. Mr., Ban
croft and Mr.. Parker have been III com
mltllication with the railroad officials and
they assure those gentlemen that the
Pennsylvania railroad will aecede to the
I.ttspl a.. ..Ft In .
there is a united movement i'll this direc-
tion. Mr.. Barker has written Supcrin-
tendent Holiday in regard to the matter,
but as yet has no reply. What they want
is an early morning freight from Harring-
ton that will connect with New England
trains, ON this subject II. IL. Bancroft
offered the following resolution, which
was unanimously carried:
h,Soi,td. That the time schedule of the
New England express be such time sched-
ule as would suit us for a fast freight.
Mr.. Bancroft, Charles Barker and John
llcyd, were appointed Il committee to con-
fer with the railroad officials
This matter disposed of \. n. Brown
moved that Col. r. NJ, liell of Washington,
be secured to deliver lecture oil sheen
husbandry at the next meeting Of the in
stitute. Sheep husbandry, he said, is gain.
ing foothold in Delaware ON account of
the mild winters and the people needed
some instruction rs to their raising and
fattening. This was carried, but not before
some discussion had been INDUCED in by
some of the members, who were opposed
TO so much scientific Instruction. as
they termed it. What was wanted, they
said, was a practical man TO lecture How
ever, MIR. Bell will be secured, If possible
Tho meeting then adjourned to meet at
FELTON, on the second Wednesday in April.