The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-08-25
AGRICULTURAL HINTS.
PRACTICAL FARMING.
The Laying Out OF New Roads IL Task
of Great Importance.

The Laying Out of New Roads IL y Task
of Great Importance.
Perhaps some may question the pro-
priety OF treating such "a subject under
practical farming" but IL seems 10 us
that good roads have very much 10 do
with practical farming, and one of the
best ways 20 have good reads Is 20
study the essentials OF having them
good when laying out new ones.
The following is taken from a paper
by Prof. n. 5. Shaler, which appeared
in the Atlantic Monthly; 1t seems
worth while for all intelligent people
90 have some general notion concern
ing the simpler facts involved in the
science and art OF roadmaking. With
such persons the study OF these mat
tiers may well begin with certain
fundamental conceptions as 10 the es-
sential relations OF these construc-
tions. All highways are intended to
afford a hard, smooth. and, as nearly
as possible, horizontal surface over
which that great instrument OF civili-
ton, the wheel, with its burden, can
be made 10 move with the least posi-
BILE friction. Every unit of friction
which Is encountered is measurable
element OF cost, either in time. power
or damage 10 the road and carriage.
For every foot of distance he traverses
the WAGNER is mourning tax IL he
Is conveying the weight OF ton 10
market the amount OF this tax for a
mile may, under favorable conditions,
not exceed five cents From this mimi
Ia. - Ia
advancing degradation OF the way, the
cost may increase until IL amounts To
ten or twenty times what IL is in the
ideal though seldom realized state OF a
highway. AT a certain stage in the ac-
emulation OF the tax even the more
adventurous, wisely, though without
clear reckoning, regard the way as
economically impossible. This con-
ception OF a roadway tax and clear
idea as 20 the frequent enormity Of the
imposition are the fundamental no.
tions which we need to fix in the
minds OF our people. With these well
affirmed we may hope 70 interest them
in the questions OF betterment.
As in most other matters the details
connected with the construction and
use OF roads are much harder TO pre-
sent than the general considerations
OF the subject. There are, however,
certain simple considerations which
will enable anyone TO know the essen
tial differences between sound and un-
sound practice in the construction OF
highways. The first and most inns
portant, though in countries the most
neglected element OF care concerns
what engineers call the profile of the
way; that is, the irregular line de-
scribed by It's center across the coun-
try.
The ordinary roadmaster is in all
cases tempted TO draw his proposed
line as directly AS possible between
his principal objective points II he
makes n depression from rectilinear
path, IL Is generally because he has
encountered an insuperable obstacle,
or because some landowner has effect
lively objected TO having his fields cut
in twain Thus IL comes about that the
greater part OF our roads are. from
their unnecessary uphill and down,
sorely taxing To the community which
they are supposed 10 serve. In many
parts OF New England and the other