The record-union., 1893-09-22
cath, thus preventing their being kicked

meath, thus preventing their being kicked
out.
To recapitulate: First make firm
bed; lay the stone on this in nearly equal
sized fragments; roll each layer, ana use
stone dust or good gravel for binder,
with water enough to wash the dust into
the voids. Don't use any clay or loam
with the stone. as either material absorbS
water and destroys the bond of the stone,
while it also makes dust in dry weather
and mud in wet. Its use may give ap-
parently quicker results, but 1t Will
prove a sure element of destruction. On
sandy or gravelly soil there need not be
any large stone at the bottom, nor SO
much depth of any kind of stone. The
smaller broken stone may be laid directly
on such material to a depth of four or six
inches with excellent results. The depth
will depend on the expected volume OF
traffic over the proposed roadway.
WIDTH OF RoADs-MACADAM.
The width of road should be regu-
lated by the traffic. Fifteen or sixteen
feet of finished way is usually sufficient
for country roaj, which may be in
creased through villages to twenty or
twenty-five feet. 1t is well to continue
the crown to twenty or twenty-five feet,
finishing ouside of the gravel or stone
with the natural soil.
In selecting stone for macadam road,
that which is hard and tough is the best.
Trap work meets all the requirements
better than any other. There are several
kinds Of hornblendic granite which give
good results. Some of the conglomerates,
amygdaloids and felsites are suitable.
None of the states, schists or sandstones
are of any special value; they are too soft
and are soon converted into mud. The mi
caceous GRANTEES make but poor road mate
rial. The poorest of these, however, are
far better than mud, and can be used if
no better are available.
1t may often be profitable to have ge-
ologist look over the ground if no good
material appears in sight. In our own
experience we have known of towns
using an inferior rock when first-class
one could just as easily be bad, ii the road
officers had only known where to find it.
We have attempted to outline few
general principles which should guide
one in building roads.
SELECTION OF MEN TO BUILD ROADS.
There still remains very important
point which we have not touched on, and
that is the selection of men who shall
have charge of such work. Ii we wish
the services of a doctor or lawyer, we
select that man whose training and ex-
perience have been such as will give us
confidence in his Judgment. We should
not think of going to doctor to build us
a house, or lawyer to instruct us in car
ing for our farm. Neither should we call
in the lawyer the doctor, or the farmer
to build and take care of our roads. There
is no more sense in one proposition than
in the other. The art of road building is
one that can only be attained by expert
ence, A man who is to be intrusted
with such work should be honest and
firm, capable of handling men and teams;
and in addition to this, he should be in
structed in road work and made familiar
with methods. Most towns think they
are too poor to afford instructions of this
kind to the road officers, but such econ
only is Of the kind (which saveth at the
spigot while wasting at the bung."
WASTING MONEY.
AS a rule, most of the road money is
wasted in vain attempt to do too much,
and in building without any knowledge
of methods or materials.
The older countries OF Europe passed
through Just such an epoch as we are
now passing through, and came out into
the light nearly a hundred years ago.
Nothing was done of any value until the
old system was abandoned and a new
one adopted. The old system was like
our, present one; the new system placed
trained men in charge of the highways,
and as result it is the exception to find
poor roads, while the money outlay has
been in many cases far less.
INSTRUCT THE BUILDERS.
We may select the best available local
men to supervise our road building, pro-
yided we furnish suitable men to instruct
and guide them. A careful study of the
whole subject seems to indicate that such
instruction may be obtained through a
State commission with advisory powers.
Such commission can formulate some
general system, instruct men in the best
methods of work, and, if deemed proper,
have charge OF building certain main
roads.
F. 81. WELD, an old and respected in