The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-14
MAINTAINING ROADS.
WHY 1t Pays to Keep Them In Good N,
pair All the Time.


Way 1t Pays to Kccp Them In Good IN
pair All the Tinc.
There are two methods of mnin,ain-
ing roads, one by repairing them occa-
sionally. annually or scmi-annuallv,
and the other by keeping them con
stantly III good repair. BY the first
method the road is allowed to dcterio-
rate until 1T needs extensive repairs
Ry the second method the road is kept
up by slight mending as soon as it is
needed. With the first method the road
Is rarely in good condition. With the
second method it is always in good con-
dltion, and yet the second method costs
less than the first. The way the coun-
try roads arc usually managed will in
sure bad roads most of the time Once
year, when farm work is not press
ing, farmers are called out for working
on the roads. Soil and stones are
hcaped promiscuously into the road,
and it is quite probable that the sur
face will not be only partially lcveled
off, but left as the scraper dumped it's
loads. If there is anything more trying
to good nature than to haul on an I'M
repaired road, it is to haul on one
which has just been worked" by the
usual method.
few minutes work at the proper
time, in keeping the water from follow
ing the wheel tracks, will save days of
labor in repairing damages. In road
making stitch in time saves more
than nine, Keep all water off from a
road as far as possible. This nccessi-
tatcs smooth sloping surface. SO that
water will run off Immediately; and
t,.1,
water from following the wheel tracks.
The modern idea is to make IL good road
surface at the minimum expense con-
sistcnt with good results, and then
make provision for constant oversight
and maintenance.
Mr. W. y. Sweet, of Syracuse, n. V,
makes the following suggestion us to
road saving: Have the state pass Il
law making it imperative on all two
horse farm wagons and all others that
carry over Il ton to use i inch width of
tires, and to have the hind wheels set S
inches further apart than the forward
ones. With this law in force road
making Will I've reduced &c per cent.
When wagons are thus made they will
not track, and You have no ruts. No
one ever SAW ruts around the corners
of any country road. Each wheel rolls
down and does not cut the road. 1t is
absolutely true that the wagon draws
CASTER One of the most efficient i'm
PIGMENT for keeping an carthcn road
smooth is the road hone This may he
made of an oak plank about l. foot wide
and 10 feet long, shod on it's front
lower edge with an iron plate A
tongue is attached to it so that it may
be held vertically on the shod edge 1t
is attached TO the tongue so as to make
an angle with the perpendicular to the
axis of the road when it is in operation,
so that the earth may be either drawn
TO or from the center of the road. 1t is
of special use whca the road is begin
ming to dry, after being cut up during
the winter. A still better Supplement- for
road making is the modern road ma
cline. No road should be allowed to
deteriorate until it needs Il pillow and
scraper for repairs. The moro frequent
use of the hone and roller is what is re.
CURED The width of wagon tires ha.
an important effect on earth roads
When the tire is narrow, the wheels OF
loaded wagons facilitate the making OF
ruts- In New York Il turnpike law was
enacted providing that all vehicles with
tire inches wide should pay only
half toll; those 9 inches wide onc-uuar
ter toll; and those IL inches wide, nc
toll. Wagons carrying one ton should
have tires inches wide; tons, /
inches; and increase inch per ton to {
inches wide.