The Van Buren press., 1893-11-18
ROAD CONSTRUCTION:
006d Drainage the First keauisho to sas
cessfui Work.

066d Drainage the First Requisite to sue
cessfui Work.
Much has been said of late upon the
subject Of permanent road making. the
cost of same and the most economical
methods to be used. The ques-
ton also arises of the necessary
means to meet the cost OF an
undertaking by which to prevent
the submergence of all country traffic,
during certain periods of the year, be-
meath the prairie mud of large areas OF
the most productive and fertile regions
of the great west. Various methods for
raising funds have been suggested by
city writers. but from the practical
standpoint of the farmer but little has
been said, for in the end he must foot
the bills We believe, however, that
scientific methods will bring solution
to the whole question without involving
the farmers in heavy taxation or bonded
Indebtedness as future burden for
funds necessary for elaborate Ind ex-
pensive construction. There is NO doubt
that well constructed dirt roads on our
western prairies eight months in the
year on an average are the best roads
in the world, the question Of gr AIDES be-
ing equal, SO that only the re naming
four are TO be provided for, by ex-
traordinary expense.
The question now arises as to how
this may be accomplished at the least
expense of labor and money to the tax
payers. All must admit that good
drainage is the first requisite to pre-.
vent the surplus water from floating
subsoil and material used into thin
mortar. To accomplish this one tile
under the center of the road b.,d will be
only one-half as expensive as Triumphant
tile on each side and be much more
effective than the two lines Of tiling
To make sure that the water finds its
way into it quickly let there b, thin
space of sand, gravel or broken material
of any sort filling it, lead up to ward the
surface of the road bed widening out
beneath it conforming to proper
width and thickness of the material
used for the permanent covering Of the
roadway.
Now the farmer in the prairie region
asks where the material is to be OBJ
tanned for macadamizing or paving
which is necessary for the permanent
road construction or surface covering.
When scientifically considered the sub
ject is easy Of solution where clay and
sand are to be found and these articles
are pretty well distributed throughout
the country in river beds, banks and
other places Of deposit All farmers
have had the experience of wheeling
over sand roads and over those COM
posed wholly of clay during periods Of
drought and of excessive rainfall and
know how the wheels cut through the
dry sand to resist the draft Of the
team. On the other hand he has the
same experience when the clay is wet
Then is it not reasonable that if the
two materials are mixed in proper pro-
portions each performs it's part in help
ing the other to resist the conditions
which affect it and by this means
substantial road bed is maintained
through all conditions of weather, and
the expense of producing such roads
will be within the reach Of most neigh
borhoods where thick settlements are
made of town and country communi-
ties. To test the above methods it will
be we'll for the farmers to make expert
ments in this direction. We have seen
such roads where nature had combined
these agencies II right proportion. Let
us initiate nature by conforming to her
laws.-Western Rural