St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-10-08
ouR COUNTRY ROADS.

| oUR COUNTRY ROADS.
nsy lsslass ne Tssosr - Are Grses
Efsr Wasoo - 4eosy. =
TIE St Paul Pionees Press. in re-
viewing a article IN the Forum BY
John Wesley Bookwalter. says: while
Mr.. Bookwaltsr II right IN, ascribing
msch of The tendency a populstien to
move from the country 70 the city to
the isolation Of farm LIE, and while his
plan Of having farm la1ds 20 surveyed
thaS thesU wouA b . vills1e =. the
center Of each section whe1s III the
families might live has exeellenA fea-
tures, We think that hs has scarcely
Givsn due weight 70 the evil effects of
cur country roads In eresting and en-
forcing almost aheolute seclusioa for
eoantry dwellerA z-.
'The worst dimculty about rural lifc
= not tho diaAancs that separates one
habitation from another; Il il the fact
that this distance 70 b traversed Il .
barrier, during eertsin seasons Of the
year. almost - impassable as noun
tain range or . swollen torrent Farm
era. = . rule. are we'll supplied with
vehicles and hoessa They arc NOE
welded TO life of solitude, but love
cheer and socisbility even better than
other folks. They find these denied tn
them By the condition of the country
reads during . large portion Of tho
year. This u less marked in our prairie
country than it h in sections at the
east and south. where the scil changes.
under the influence Of rainfall, 70 .
tenacious mud that practically nega-
tives al loeomotion. But even here
there u . eonsidsrable portion u the
year when . drive Of from three 70 ten
miles y anything bat . pleasant under.
taking. In the most unfsvorably situ-
ated communities there are fully six
months when neighborhood intercourse
il denied to al but pedestrisnA This
- tie great saeri8ce which he must
make who decides 20 try country life
IN The United States.
''It b hardly doubtful that . large
share Of the average Engliahman's pas
sion for residing in the country. and
still larger share Of his fondness for
long walks and rides, II duo TO the fact
that he does not know what poor road
il. Such . highway in Great Britain
- the best of our country roads would
provoke tho natives 70 IN insurrection.
The traveller Ands everywhess the Same
beautiful. even surface for diving.
equal IN comfort and very like In ap-
pearanee 70 our asphalt streets. though
IL = enly . superior maeadam. Over
this the heavy English carriages, which
horse could hardly move in this eoun-
Try, bowl merchants mp hill and down
dale. On one side II the graveled foot
path Tor walking people. On the other
the dirt bridlepath for those On horse.
back. And between them the ideal
highway stretches it glistening length,
free from mud Or stones or dust 1t all
seasons Of the year. II b small won.
der that people love the country, and
that short distances do not deter them
o. compel them 20 live secluded where
the facilities for travel as0 such -
these.
"Yet the di6erencs between the eoun-
" roada Of Great Britssn and those of
the United States u rather eae Of in
telli9ent interest and peinstalxine thaa
one of expense. The Englishman ha1
simply learned how % 60 about road
making. He prepares the surface with
almost or quite - much care - We Do
for laying . pavement Then. wheD
the macadam il laid on, he secs to it
that Il has constant attention. A little
break. . slowly forming deprsssion. u
not allowed 70 ruin the roadway.
Stocks Of finely broken stone are ready
prepared everywhere, and the slightest
defect u repaired immcdiately.
I'VE think Il can Be proved that IN
many Of the older oommunikies Of thie
country the people have actually pai6
out more money loe highway eonstruo
tioa and repair pr mile than it has cost
the English 20 eEeate and. mainAain
their almost perfect systemo Of roadA
4 good deal Of the money has been
wasted By political spoilsmcn. Most Of
the remainder has been applied unintel.
. lot Of men digKin1 deem
ditches On either side Of ths highway,
the earth from these into the
center and thinking that this convex
surface Of newly-dug mold could b
called . road and this process road
mending.'
There are signs Of - awakeniue Of
Intelligent interest in the subject in
some quarterA Pro1essorships have
sven been established In some Of the
colleges 70 teach the artof roadmakinR,
md people ars beginning 70 understand
lie frightful economic loss Of putting
N embargo On travel during . good
portion Of Tie year. Or else compelling
al beasts Of burden to eo0sume vital
Iorcs and exhaust themselves unneces-
Darily. Il will b . saving 70 b
eounted By millions Of dollars annually,
md Il win b . naSvelous gain socially
md morally - well - industrially,
whsn We shall have such scientific
in Tie United States that
~ rural dwellef will possess, - far -
private conveysnee i concerned, the
'sme advantagss that are enjoyed by
he rssidents Of eities."
oslpAsse - CepDas Usa1aSso.
D.. Jabes Fisher (Dullstin No. II Of
he health experiDent station, Massa-
,h1set1s. = ol ~ ePinioa thas . solu-
Ion Of sulphats Of copper in the pro-
Portion of pound 70 60 gallons OF
vaAeS b ordinarily safe and sure for
'praoing fruit trees and vineA Exper-
Dsnts at tie station allowed that Gov
ring . grape teFTaee with IN awning,
n a tn IenngH - 49, ~~A ~~A -