The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-10-07
ROADS ON THE FARM.
They Frequently Prove Among the Mos,
Profitable Investments. ~

The subject OF good public roads at
tracts, and deserves great deal OF
attention, says the American Farmer
and Farm News. 1t Is subject Ia
which farmers have greater financial
stake than they have realized. While
the roads remain as they are the
farmers are constantly losing money
by the delays and difficulties Of get
ting their produce 70 market IL ex-
tensiye repairs and reconstructions
are attempted the taxes on farm
property will be considerably in
creased. III the money paid for put
ting the roads In order is expended by
people who understand making roads.
and who are honest as well as intelli-
gent, 1t will be prohtably invested.
Good roads cost, but they also pay.
We ought TO have them.
To some extent the principles which
are involved In making and maintain
ing highways also apply TO farm
roads If no roads are provided, or
II the roads which are made are not
kept in order, the difficulty. and con-
sequently the expense, OF moving
lOdNb w anu lIOlD buC Ddi ~ VII
siderably increased. To provide and
keep In order good farm roads will In
volve some expense, but the cost will
be many times repaid by the increased
facilities they afford for carrying on
some OF the important farm opera
tions.
While every farm of much size
needs one or more good roads over
which the heavier loads should be
drawn there are places which are in
more urgent need OF attention than
are the farms as whole. Wet, or
soft spots, and hillsides should have
good road beds even IL a general sys-
TEN OF road making for the farm can
not immed lately be adopted. 1t
probably requires more than twice
the power 70 draw given load
though one OF the "mud-holes" which
are found on SO many farms than 1t
does TO move it over a fairly good
road. AS for drawing load up hill,
everyone who has had experience
teaming on an uneven farm knows
that the power required Is very much
greater than is needed on a level
road. 1t not infrc luently occurs that
small loads must be drawn from the
most distant parts OF the farm be.
cause there are one or two bad spots
between that point and the barn. A
little work on these spots would open
pretty good road for the whole dis
tance. If fairly we'll done 1t would
last for years, but II would pay to do
this work IL 1t had TO be repeated
every summer. 1t would save many
long trips every season, would pre-
vent much annoyance both TO the
team and to the driver, and would
enable the farmer TO push his work
much more rapidly than he otherwise
can do In some cases the hard pull
comes at some point where the ruts
have been formed. Here, there Is not
merely a great increase in the labor
OF the teams, but there also Is Sc
we're and altogether unnecessary strain
upon the wagons and carts. Many
wheel has been spoiled, and con-
siderable bill for repairs has been in
Cured, by means of these ruts. The
delay and Inconvenience caused by
such break down are always veXa-
tious, and the expense involved is not
always met with good humor If the
time lost In waiting TO have the ne
cessary repairs to the wagon made
were used putting the road into good
condition future losses and annoy
ances from this source might be
avoided and occasion for the use OF
good deal Of very bad language would
be prevented.
TO make flrst-class highways over
which thousands OF teams are To pass
every year, requires good deal OF
scientific knowledge. Such knowl-
edge, though valuable, is not indis-
pensable In making farm roads. In
order to keep 1t dry and hard the
road should be little higher In the
middle than 1t is at the sides Ruts
should be prevented by forming as
solid a road-bed as possible and max
ing repairs as soon as the least de-
preston In the wheel tracks Is OBJ
served. Where the road passes
through wet ground the bed should be
somewhat elevated and n trench
should be made ut each side for car
rying off the surplus water. Atten-
tion TO these points, and to few
minor matters which will suggest
themselves, will enable the farmer TO
make, on his own land, roads which
will fully answer ali practical pur-
poses.
Wonders OF Railroad Wrccking.