The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-05-26

j cOnvexity of about one in forty.
Cpon we'll kept roads, one in sixty is
-nfticien. Too great convexity should
he avoided, as it tends to keep the
travel too much in the middle OF the
road where ruts are formed which hold
water, the great injury of the roads
soundness. A uniform wear over the
surface is very desirable.
The roadway having been prepared
in the manner described, the first and
simplest kind of stone road IS made
by giving dressing of broken stone
of two or three inches in thickness,
which is then thoroughly rolled SO as
to press the stones firmly into the
earth. Where the travel is light the
road can now be used tor a longer or
shorter time as may be convenient.
OF course, it will not stand heavy use,
and will be very much broken up when
the frost goes out in the spring. After
few months use, certainly after one
season, another similar dressing should
be applied and rolled as before. 1t
is now advisable to give topdressing
OF the screenings, or OF suitable gravel,
which after being we'll sprinkled
shound be rolled also. The operations
may be continued for years to the steady
improvement of the road, until at
length the bed becomes SO solid that
but little Will be required. This is the
ordinary country road Of Europe.
The next higher grade of road is
made by placing at once upon the
prepared earth-bed layer of broken
stone of six or eight inches in thick
ness. This layer is thoroughly wet
and compressed by the heaviest rollers
that can be operated, either by steam
or horsepowes. Upon this dressings
of smaller stones and screenings or
gravel are placed and treated as before
described. A still more thorough road
is made by placing layer of large
stones Of various sizes up to say fifty
pounds upon the earth bed, leveling,
as well as may be, their interstlCes with
smaller stones. Upon these dressing
of broken stones is placed SO as to
make the surface smooth enough for
the operation or a roller when Its
pressure firmly beds the bottom layer
into the earth, Six inches of broken
stone is then added, and the road is
completed as the others.
The best class ofroads is that known
as the Telford, when it is properly
const1cted stones of say foot IN width,
one or two feet in length and from two
to SIX inches in thickness are placed
upon the prepared earth bed, upon
their thickest edge, side by side, the
lengths of the stones running across
the road. These are carefully placed
50 as to break joints and to fit together
as closely as possible. The high
points are broken off with hammer,
SO as TO have the tops of the stones as
nearly on level as possible. The
interstices are filled with smaller stones.
We now have compact mass of stones
foot in deph over all the width OF
the road. Upon this foundation a
layer of broken stones is placed, SO as
to permit the heaviest possible roller
to pass over it to bed the bottom
stones into the earth and to compact
the whole mass. Additional broken
stone is now added until thickness
of four or five inches is obtained, which
is then rolled and finished as the 9th
ers.
All these stone roads have curt
set along their sides to hold the edge:
in place. When curbstones are not
used the edges should be well shoul
dered with sods. Good side cutters
are a necessity with every road.
The cost ofa we'll built Telford road
with a bed fifteen feet in width, which
is as narrow as permits two vehicles tc
pass readily, is about SI.oo a running
foot, or something over S5,o pei
mile. The other roads described are
less expensive, as can at once be seer
according to the thoroughness of thei1
construction.
REPAIRS.
1t is a great mistake to suppose tina
highclass roads involve no expense fol
repairs: While their durability is very
:, great, yet they require constant atten
ton, SO that every injury may bt
remedied at once. Neglect is very
costly. The best constructed roads g
rapidly from bad to worse unless
properly repaired. When the best care
is taken, the horse droppings and tht
detritus from wear are regularly re
newed. If left, they hold the water
work between the stones and lnjure
the soundness of the road bed, anC
make injury from frost more liable
The only exception to the removal 0
detritus is where tough limestone i
used, the wear from which seems to &C
as a mortar and binds the mass to
gether. This is one of the grea
advantages of using limestone, Wher,
the surface is good, occasional dress
ings of fine gravel, or some substitute
are given. Depressions from settlin!
. or holes from wear should be fillet
with broken stone. The pressure from
travel will gradually compact these
Where these immediate repairs hav
been neglected for considerable time
: dressings of broken stones must b
{ given to the entire surface, rolled an
finished as in the first construction.