Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-20
FARMERS CONVENTION.
Important Action in montgomery on
the Subject of Good Roads.
tbo bolt Sun

Important Action in Montgomery on
the Subject of Good Roads.
From the Baltimore Sun.
SANDY SPRING, Md, February 19.-The
twenty-third annual farmers convention
was held today in the Lyceum building
here. Edward p Thomas presided; J. jan
ney Shoemaker and NJ. o. Stabler, secre-
taries. The convention had it's inception
in the farmers clubs that were organized
in Montgomery county many years ago for
the Interchange of views on agricultural
subjects. The convention was originally
designed for the farmers of Montgomery
county, but with the lapse Of years farm
ers of adjacent counties became interested
in the work and now are among the most
regular attendants. Today farmers were
present from Howard, Hartford and Prince
Georges counties and they took an active
part In the discussions. A significant fea-
ture of these gatherings is the preponder-
ance Of young men, who, being fully posted
ON the needs of the agriculturist, did not
hesitate to express their views.
William e. Mannakee, chairman of the
committee on public road legislation, sum-
mitted a report on the present method of
repairing roads in Montgomery county, in
which he said that with economical man
agement as much work had been accom-
plished with an expenditure Of 4,50O as
was formerly done with $4,000.
c. E. Bond of the same committee read a
paper on public roads which attracted at
tention as well for the clear and forcible
manner in which he expressed himself as
for the knowledge which he disclosed of his
subject. He attacked the prevailing system
in use in many counties of going over the
roads in the early fall months, when the
ground is hard, and shoVeling the earth to
the. center of the road. The time for that
kind of repairs, he said, Is in the spring.
when the ground is soft, and the earth
thrown to the center in condition to remain
where it is placed. The spring repairs should
be followed from time to time with a little
work on the roads to keep them in repair.
The drains alongside the roads should be
carefully looked after, and not be permitted
to become clogged.
Speaking of the construction Of stone
roads, he said The roadbed should first
be put in good condition, and under no con-
dluon should stone be put on uneven
bed. and the bed should be allowed to pack
nara before the stone Is spread. mac
adam road is the simplest to construct. 1t
will be we'll to bear in mind when con-
structing such road that road with
stone six inches deep is two and quarter
times as strong as If it were four inches
deep, end a road with stone twelve inches
deep is four times as strong as if the stone
We're six inches deep. 1t will be found
cheaper to use hard stone at greater cost
than for soft stone.
In repairing a maeadam road care should
be taken that large surfaces are not re-
paired at a time, for the reason that large
vehicles Will not drive over the repaired
parts and will cause damage to other parts
OF the roadbed. Another system of road
building is the Telford, which the speaker
considered better than any other Such a
road is built, he said, by 1irst placing large
stones close together for foundation and
then spreading broken stone to sufficient
depth. A Telford road will last longer and
cost less for repairs than any other prac-
ticable country road.
Mr.. Bond closed his paper with the fol-
lowing directions for road repairing, which
the convention by unanimous vote direct
ed the committee to urge the county COM
missioners to adopt and to require the road
supervisors to carry out, viz: Begin early
in the spring, scrape the ground well and
crown about one FOOT under no circum-
stances place earth on the road when 1t Is
dry and hard; after every rain go over
the road and make needed repairs; dig up
all heavy stone from the roadbed aud in
cleaning the drains throw~the earth away
from the road. In repairing stone roads be
sure there are no holloWS in the bed and
always put the stone in the middle. broken
to an even size; keep repairing stones in
piles about 100 yards apart and have the
stone broken to uniform size"
William Amos of Hartford county spoke
Of the advantage derived from the work of
the Darlington Road League. He said the
league induced the county commissioners
to Permit them to have the expenditure OF
the money appropria ted for their district.
One wears work convinced the commission
ers of the value of intelligent supervision
of the road-mending, and they are now
anxious to encourage the formation OF SIM
liar leagues.