The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-08-17
ROAD DRAINAGE.
n Is Absolutely indispensable to tho Best
of Results.

of Results.
The one thing necessary to good
road-eartb, gravel, macadam. or
paved-is thorough drainage of the
foundation. Money has been misap-
piled in road-making because of neg.
lect OF thorough drainage, even when
the money has been used to build
roads Of material that should give
them a permanent character. On
the western prairies, where the nat
ural drainage Is poor, undraincd
gravel roads have suddenly become
mud roads when put to the severe
test of long rainy spell in winter
and early spring. Not the least un.
fortunate result of this has been a
prejudice against gravel roads in par
ticular, and scarcely less pronounced
distrust OF permanent roads in gem
eral. Lack of drainage was the real
cause of the failure.
Whether the road is TO be OF earth,
gravel, or macadam, the earth road
bed should be graded, crowning IL
twelve to fourteen feet wide, and
twelve to eighteen inches higher in
the middle than at the edges. Along
each edge should be cut a shallow
ditch. This is a correct general
statement, which, of course, should
be modified TO suit peculiar circum-
stances. Thus, In a very hilly coun-
try, especially If the soil washes easi-
ly, the bitches should not be cut at
the sides, as they are not necessary,
tvi
ahilly country 1t is not necessary to
crown the roadbcd so high, but the
crowning must always be sufficient to
insure ready surface drainage Twelve
to fourteen feet in width is sufficient.
Making the road wider has been
found needless expense.
With those soils and .subsoils
specially well adapted to drainage,
crowning the roadbed and cutting the
bitches at the sides will secure the
necessary drainage, but where
the soil and subsol are not fav-
orable to drainage, additional meas
ures must be taken. In the country
In which i reside, gravel road has
been made for twenty miles, near the
Mississippi river bluffs. This road Is
on soil and a subsoil decidedly grav-
ely, giving splendid drainage. This
gravel road is now eighteen years old,
and has proved satisfactory. The
only means taken to secure drainage
was to crown the roadbed a little in
| low places. TO make gravel road
In this way over the greater part of
the same country would be waste Of
money, for in most places the soil is
black prairie loan, and the subsoil
tenacious clay.
1t has been found quite satisfactory
I'm most localities, having black sur
face soil and clay subsoil, to lay a
drain Of tile along each side, near the
edge of the roadbed This has been
found better location than near the
/ middle OF the roadway. The office of
the tile Is to carry off water brought
up from below rather than water
sinking In from above. In some
localities it Is necessary to use three
drans-one line of tile beneath the
center Of the roadway, and one under
each ditch at the side. 1t seems un-
natural to put the tile under the side
bitches, but this location has been
proved best.
When the roadbed is to he graveled
or macadamized, the crownng earth
foundation should he nicely smoothed
and then rolled until quite solid. 1t
is well, also, in this case to put the
clay subsoil from the bitches on TO
the surface. When rolled, it makes
a hard, smooth surface, almost imper-
vious to water, and over which will
flow, off to the bitches at the sides,
the rainwater that may sink through
the gravel or macadam. When the
surface is to be of earth only, the
clay subsoil should be kept under
meath, and the natural soil be placed
on top. The surface soil will usually
afford much better drainage than the
subsoils, and make "A better road sur
face. American Agriculturist.