Crawford avalanche., 1896-05-28
KEEPING ROADS GOOD.
Seventeen Rules Recommended by an
English association.


The Road Improvement Association,
Of London, Eng, recently issued cir
cuhr containing seventeen rules for
the guidance of roadmasters In keeping
macadam and telford roads in proper
repair, as follows:
| i. Never allow a hollow, a rut, or a
puddle to remain on a road, but fill 1t
up at once with chips from the stone
heap.
z. Always use chips for patching and
for all repairs during the summer sea-
son.
| 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 section.
4. Remember that the rake is the
most useful tool in your collection, and
it should be kept at hand the whole year
round
). Do not spread large patches of
stone over the whole width Of the road,
but coat the middle or horse track first,
and when this has worn in coat each of
the SIDES III turn.
6. In moderately dry weather and on
hard roads always pick up the old sur
face into ridges six inches apart, and
remove all large and projecting stones
before applying a new coating.
Z. Never spread stones more than one
stone deep, but add second layer when
the first has worn in If one coat be not
enough.
8. Never shoot stones upon the road
ana crack them where they lie, or n
smooth surface will be out of the ques-
ton.
8. Never put stone upon the road
for 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 guage than soft, but
that the two-inch gauge is the largest
that should be used under any circum-
stances where no steam roller is en-
ployed.
IL. Never be without your ring
guage; remember Macadam's advice,
that any stone you can not easily put
into your mouth should be broken
smaller.
II. Use chips, If possible, for binding
newly-laid stones together, and re-
member that road sweepings, horse
droppings, soda or grass and other rub
bish when used for this purpose, will
ruin the best road ever constructed.
13. Remember that water-worn or
rounded stones should never be used
upon steep gradients, or they will fail
to bind together.
IA. Never allow dust or mud to lie on
the surface Of the roads, for either Of
these will double the cost of mainten-
ance.
10. Recollect that dust becomes mud
at the first shower, and that mud forms
wet blanket which will keep the road
in filthy condition for weeks at time,
instead Of allowing it to dry in a few
hours.
16. Remember that the middle Of the
road should always be little higher
than the sides, so that rain may run
into the side cutters at once.
II. Never allow the water tables, gut
ters and bitches to clog up, but keep
them clear the whole year through.
Every roadmaster and supervisor
should cut these rules out and paste
them in his everyday hat. To make
good road is one thing and to keep it
in good repair is quite another thing.
The finest roads in Europe are the
result Of splendid repair system
where every defect is promptly cor
rected before it has time to cause Sc
rious damages to the highway.