Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-09-26
4 1.2 PER CENT.
CARING FOR GOOD ROADS.
Rules of tho London Road Improvement
Economy In Repairs.

Association Economy In Repairs.
The popularity of the bicycle this year
has reawakened interest in proper road
construction. From all reports it is APP
parent that more miles of good Macadam
and Telford roads have been built this
year than ever before in the history of this
country. Nearly all of the rural villages
and towns have constructed their main
/ thoroughfares on scientific principles ana
many adjoining towns are connected by
| long boulevards that are pleasure TO
| ride over. The spirit Of road Improvement
has even reached remote rural districts,
and farmers have combined to improve
! the condition of the main roads leading
| from their farms to towns or stations. II
! this progressive spirit continues for a
/ quarter of a century, we shall be able to
boast of the finest and longest Macadam
roads in tho world, as we now boast of the
/ greatest railroad mileage.
| But it is one thing to construct a fine
piece of roadway, and quite another TO
keep it in proper repair. The neglect of
the latter work is noticeable in many parts
of the country where good roads were con-
structed several years ago, and a little
more attention should be called to the
| necessity of taking proper care of a ma
Cadamzed road. In two years an eXpen-
s.ve roadway can so to ruin, and the ini-
| tial expense of constructing it VIII be
| nearly lost. a neglected macadamlzed
TOdu Is even worse imam many VI lIlc VI
binary dirt roads Probably in the spring
the latter would be in a more deporable
| condition, but in the summer the half
ruined Macadam road is covered with
| loose, sharp stones, and permanent ruts
! are cut deep into the sides. On the ordin-
AIRY dirt road these ruts are worn away by
constant travel, but on the Macadam road
they became permanent, and are rarely
smoothed out by wagon-wheels Water
| collects in them and remains there for
| some time, causing the formation of mud
holes, which hasten the ruin of the road.
SO important is the subject of keeping
Macadam and Teford roads in proper re-
pair that the Road Improvement associa-
ton of London. England, recently issued
a circular containing II rules for the gu'd-
anCe of roadmasters in this matter.
The rules adopted by the association
should be read and studied by every road
master and supervisor. They run as fol-
lows:
I. Never allow a hollow, a rut, or a pud
die to remain on a road but fill it up at
once with chips from the stone heap.
2. Always use chips for patching up and
for all repairs during the summer season.
3. Never put fresh stones on the road,
If. by cross picking and a thorough use of
the rake, the surface can be made smooth
and kept at the proper strength and sec
zion.
4. Remember that the rake Is the most
useful tool in your collection. and it should
be kept close at hand the whole year
round.
>. DO not spread large patches Of stone
o, CT the whole width Of the road, but coat
he middle or horse track first, and when
this has worn N coat eacn Of the sides in
turn.
g. In moderately dry weather and on
hard roads always pick up the old sur
face into ridges six niche. apart, and re-
move all large and projecting stones be-
fore applying a new coating.
I. Never spread stones more than one
stone deep, but add second layer when
the first has worn in. ii one coat be not
enough.
S, Never shoot stones on the road and
crack them whore they lie, or a smooth
surface Will be out of the question.
9. Never put a stone upon the road for
5 repairing purposes that Will not freely
pass in every direction through a two-inch
ring, and remember that smaller stones
should be used for patching and for all
; slight repairs.
! 10. Recollect that hard stones should be
broken to finer gauge than soft, but that
the two-inch gauge is the largest that
should be used under any circumstances
where no steam roller is employed.
II. Never be without your ring gauge
remember Macadams advice that any
stone you cannot easily put in your mouth
should be broken smaller.
A 70. Use chips, If possible, for binding
newly-lad stones together, and remember
that road-sweeplngs horsedroppings,
sods or grass and other rubbish, when
used for this purpose, will ruin the best
road ever constructed.
10 Remember that water-worn or round
= ed stones should never be used upon steep
gradients, or they will fail to bind to-
! gether.
H. Never allow dust or mud to lie on the
surface of the roads, for either of these
will double the co2t of maintenance.
10. Recollect that dust becames mud al
the first shower, and that mud forms a we
: blanket which will keep a road in a filthy
condition for weeks at a time. instead OF
allowing it TO dry in a few hours.
16 Remember that the middle Of The
road should always be a little higher thar
the Sides so that rain may run into tht
side cutters at once.
IT, Never allow the water-tables, gut
tiers, and bitches to clog up, but keep then
clear the whole year through.
r. The total length of the common roads
d in this country, good bad. and Indifferent
is estimated by Gen. Stone of the Roat
" bureau of the department of agriculture
at something over 1,30G, 900 miles The ma
IS Jority of these roads have been opened b,
d common laborers hired by county super
IS visors, and no engineering principles hav
IF been observed in their construction. AS
result, IL COSTS more 10 Keep them in re
t. pair than If they were so many finel,
- macadam!zed roads Keeping these poo
roads in repair and opening up new thor
oughfares cost Massachusetts in 1898, out
side of cities. 81, 1876, 94i, or S66. so per mile
New York 900, or $50 per mile, am
New Jersey s77S,470S2, or si3,25 per mile
The total expenditure for roads in tina
year amounted to about $4,000 900, AS
greater part of this enormous sum wa
spent to repair poorly constructed road
that would need exactly the same i'm
in proVements again the next year. it is no
as an exaggeration to say that most of tn
money was wasted
gs Fine roads can be constructed all tn
r. way from $500 to $4,000 per mile, accordin
to the nature of the country through whic
they pass the cost of crushed stones, an
other engineering problems The cost c
-, keeping these roads in repair is inhnitel
Nv smaller than that required to repair tn
ordinary dirt roads each winter and sprtn
~ when great gullies and ruts are washe
n, into them by the rains and floods TIL