The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-07-16

Thirty. eight sections have been con-
tracted for, and only eight of them are
to have to have a width of eighteen feet
of hardened surface, all others being
fifteen feet wide. AS the primary OBJ
ject is to get length of way, the Com
missioners are considering the advjsa
bility of building single, track roads in
thinly settled districts. These would
not be over nine feet wide, with here
and there portions of double width as
convenient passing points for carriages.
A mile and half of such road can be
built for less than the cost of a mile OF
fifteen. feet with, and the advantage IN
getting produce to market is not les
sened, provided such construction Is
confined to localities where the everage
traffic is from six t eight vehicles an
hour.
There is need of legislation to regu-
late the care of, and responsibility for,
sidewalks on State highways. These
being of purely local advantage should
be under the supervision of the town,
the wheelways alone being constructed
and kept in order by the State.
Progress has been made in the labora
tory work on the road building stones
rof the State. Experiments of this kind
are carried on at Harvard University
in the Lawrence Scientific School,
whose dean, Prof. N. s. Shaler, is a
member of the Highway Commission.
The chief aim of these inquiries has
been to determine the qualities which
constitute fitness for road making.
This will be of value to the Commission
in enabling them to utilize the road
material near at hand, and thus lessen
the cost Of construction. AS this phase
of the work progresses maps are made
showing the location of all deposits
suitable for road building.
A number of towns have already ap-
propriated money to build their streets
in the same careful manner as those
constructed by the State, and others
have purchased road machinery with
the intention of extending the work on
roads other than State highways.
Careful consideration has been given
to the plan of planting shade trees
along the highways. With this end in
view, experts have been consulted con
corning the best varieties for the pur
pose, and the wayside trees have been
examined, Sd as to determine the
species well adapted to the climate and
soil of Massachusetts.
As the estimated expense of procur-
ing and planting these trees is not less
than one half million dollars, the Com
mission has rightly made this question
to road building, but in the meantime
they are collecting such data as will
enable them to work with profit on the
adornment of the roads after the con
struction is well in hand. The AmeIi-
can and English elms have the advan-
tage of fairly rapid growth, with shade
high above ground, and the leaves fall
ing from them give but little obstruc
ton to the cutters. They have the dis
advantage of being subject to the at
tacks of insects, so that the cost Of pro
tecting them from these pests would
be considerable. Naples grow we'll and
are beautiful, though they often shade
the road too much. 1t is the custom in
parts of Europe to plant the roadsides
with trees which yield profitable crops.
In France and Germany, for example,
cherry trees abound. In these coun
tries the yield of the wayside trees be
longs to the neighboring landowners,
and in some cases to the community,
and their product is we'll guarded by
law. There will be more or less exper-
imentIng on the part of the Commits
sion before they decide upon the species
to be planted. The law provides for
the beginning of this work in the spring
of 1895, and from that time it will be
carried on slowly, so as to give us the
benefit of experience.
Every State should make a beginning
on road improvement. In thinly set
tied regions of the country, where the
people do not feel able to undertake
much, they can do no better than to
start the reform by constructing Sec
tions of single track roads. No com
munity can afford to neglect the com
mon roadways, Our prosperity is too
intimately connected with the facilities
for communication.
1 have spent many thousanes of dol
lars in inaugurating and advancing
this reform, and continue to take an
active part in it, though for along time
l have not addressed you on the sub