Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-09-30
ROAD DRAINAGE.
1t Is Absolutely Indispensable to tho Most
OF Roaults.


OF Results.
The one thing necessary to q good
road-carth. gravel, macadam, or
paved-is thorough drainage OF tho
foundation. Money has been misap.
piled in road-making because of neg.
lect or thorough drainage, even when
tho money has been used to build
roads of Il material that should give
them a permanent character. On
the western prairieS, where the nat
ural drainage Is poor undrained
gravel roads have suddenly become
mud roads when put to tho severe
test of long rainy spell In winter
ana early spring. Not the least un.
fortunate result Of this has been
prejudice against gravel roads in par
ticular, and u 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 DO graded, browning It
twelve TO fourteen feet wide, and
twelve to eighteen inches higher in
the middle than ut the edges. Along
each edge should DO cut shallow
ditch. This Is correct general
statement, which, of course, should
be modified to suit peculiar circum-
stances Thus, in very hilly coun-
try, especially IL the soil washes easl-
ly the bitches should not DO cut at
the sides, rs they are not necessary,
and will become serious gullies. In
billy country 1t is not necessary TO
crown the roadbod SO high, but the
browning must always be sufficient to
insure ready surface drainage. Twelve
to fourteen feet in width is sufficient.
Making the road wider has been
found Il needless expense.
With those soils and subsoils
specially we'll adapted to drainage,
browning the roadbcd and cutting tho
bitches ut the sides will secure tho
necessary drainage, but where
tho soil and subsoil are not fav-
orable to drainage, additional meas
ures must be taken. In the country
in which 1 reside, gravel road has
been made for twenty miles, near tho
Mississippi river bluffs. This road Is
on soil and n subsoil decidedly gray
ely, giving splendid drainage. This
gravel road is now eighteen years old,
and has proved satisfactory. Tho
only means taken to secure drainage
was to crown the rondbcd n little in
low places TO make gravel road
In this way over tho greater part of
the same country would be u waste OF
money, for In most places the soil Is
black prairie loan, and tho subsoil
tenacious clay.
1t has been found quite satisfactory
I'm most localities, having black sur
face soil and clay subsoll, to lay n
drain of lilo along each side, near tho
edge of the roadbcd. This has been
found better location thnn near tho
middle OF the roadway. Tho office Of
the tile Is to carry or water brought
up from below rather thun water
sinking in from above. In some
localities 1t is necessary to use three
drains-onc line of tile beneath the
center of the roadway, and one under
each ditch at the side. 1t seems I'M
natural to put the tile under the side
bitches, but this location has been
proved best.
When the roadbcd is to be gravelcd
or macadamized, the browning earth
foundation should be nicely smoothcd
and then rolled until quite solid. 1t
is well, also. in this case to put the
clay subsoil from tho bitches on to
the surface. When rolled, II makes
n hard, smooth surface, almost impcr-
yious to water, and over which will
flow, Off to the bitches at the sides,
the rainwnter that may sink through
the gravel or macadam. When the
surface is to be of earth only, tho
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 tho
subsoils, and make better road sur
flce-Amcrican Apriculturlst