The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1895-12-14
GOOD ROADS.
Some Valuable Statistics on the Roads
Of the Country.

The Office of Road Inquiry OF the
Department of Agriculture has com
pleted an interesting Investigation
relating to the traffic of the country
roads in the United States. the re.
suits of which will be published as
Circular No 10, Of the office
With the aid OF the Division Of
Statistics Of the Department, reports
have been gathered from about H.
200 counties giving the average
length of haul in miles, from farms
to market or shipping points. the
average weight Of load hauled, and
the average cost per ton per mile,
and from this is deduced the aver
age cost per ton for the whole length
of haul.
These returns have been arranged
in groups of States and the result
shows that the average length of
haul in the Eastern States is SO
miles; in the Northern States 90
miles; in the Middle States s s miles
in the Cotton States 1875 miles; in
the Prairie States s miles; in the
Pacific Coast and Mountain States
% miles, and in the United States
II miles
The average weight of load for
two horses in the Eastern States is
22l6 pounds. Northern States 2136
pounds; Prairie States 2409 pounds;
Pacific Coast and Mountain States
2l97 pounds, and the United States
1902 pounds.
The average cost per ton Of 1900
pounds per mile in the Eastern
States is b cents; Northern States
q cents; Middle Southern States
81 cents; Cotton States 25 cents;
Prairie States p cents; Pacific Coast
and Mountain States - cents. and
the United States % cents
The average total cost per ton for
the whole length of haul; Eastern
States $l.S9; Northern States 81 sc ::
Middle Southern States $2.72; Cot
ton States So 05; Prairie States 81
"a; Pacific Coast and Mountain
States S5l2, and the United States
1902
With these data it becomes posi-
BILE TO obtain approximately the to-
tai cost of the entire movement Of
farm products and other classes Of
materials over country roads,
Taking the census returns of the
farm products of the United States
for 1890, adding eight per cent for
the increase in five years correspond
ing to the increase in the previous
ten years; finding the weights of the
various articles aud reducing the to-
tai to tons of 1000 pounds, se have
total weight of farm products for
the year 1895 of 2l9.S24,2 27 tons.
Comparing the amounts by States.
Iowa leads with "a, 287000 tons; Ill
inois comes next with 2l.000,000
tons; Kansas with I7,000,000, Mis-
souri, New York, Ohio and Nebras-
ka with 100000 to 1900, 600
tons; Indiana and Pennsvlvania
about 100000 tons; Michigan,
Minnesota and Wisconsin 1000. 000to
5000 600 tons; and Texas, Colorado,
Kentucky and Tennessee 100000
to 5000, coo tons.
No information is available as to
the amount of hay and grain con
sumed upon the farms where they
are raised, nor is there any return of
large classes Of materials moved over
the country roads, among which are,
Building Materials, including
stone, lumber, brick, lime and sand.
Fencing Materials
Road Materials-gravel, stone, etc
Fertiizers-commercial and do
nestle, line and plaster.
Coal, Ore and Metals
Straw ana Fodder
Home-killed meats and Animals
driven to market
Garden products and Grass seeds.
Poultry aud eggs.
Merchandise
Farm machinery.
1t is deemed safe, however, to off
set these various items against home
consumed hay and grain, and so
count the equivalent of the total
farm product as being hauled on the
public roads.
The Division of Forestry of the
Department furnishes an estimate of
forest products as follows:
Annual cut of fuel 100000, 900
cubic feet
Mill product 5,000000,000
cubic feet