Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-02-23
CARE QE ROADS.


Having been driving on the roads the
most OF the time for over two years, and
having had my attention call.d many
times 10 the condition of the roads,
thought | would write few lines for
the Farmer and give my ideas Of how
the roads should be managed here 10
Maine, SO as TO give the best roads with
the least expense. In the first place as
soon as practicable 10 the spring, before
the mud is all dried up the roads should
be thoroughly narrowed and brushed
with heavy brush and the stones picked
and thrown out Of the road; II this
course is followed the roads will settle
smooth and hard and IL will be good
travelling from the start. have seen a
piece OF road so rough that horse would
not want TO trot on IL, made so smooth
in this way that the next day after Ii
was done a horse would trot readily over
II with good load, and the carriage
would run smooth and easy where it
was full of iolts the day before, and IL
would remain good road all summer,
while in another district with the same
kind Of a road that they did not harrow
but waited until the usual time OF work
ing on the road, they have had poor
road until they worked on il, which
MANY times Is the last Of June. and
have even known il 20 be as late as Au-
gust, before anything was done. And
after the roads are worked on. many
times ii Is worse travelling for some time
than before
SO 10 commence with. | would have
every road in town narrowed and
brushed, and the stones taken out "a
soon as practicable in the spring. And
then when the road machine was put TO
work, see that ii WAS used In such q
manner as TO leave the rosd AS smooth
and hard as possible. leaving it the
highest in the middle, with true taper
each way, and wide enough so that
teams can pass each other readily, never
leaving ditch inside of ditch, but al
ways making the road wide enough so
that the slope will not be so steep but
what YOU can drive safely on any part of
the road when the middle Is raised two
or even three feet higher than the edges.
III road Is properly constructed, and
kept the highest In the middle, with
sufficient and true slant 20 the edges
each way, the water will run of the
sides instead Of running In the middle of
the road.
have seen quite a steep hill, where
he road was built ia this way, that the
water did not gully st all, although
there was not a turnout for the water on
the hill, snd have seen other pieces OF
road no sleeper that were left fiat, with
shoulder TO the road, with turn-outs
enough TO make IL dissgreesble driving,
badly washed. In many places they
viii drag a lot Of sods into the road and
leave them there. thus leaving rough,
iolty road for long time. have seen
a goot piece OF road made where il was
soddy by running the machine light,
and bringing the sods into the middle of
the road, and then reversing the machine,
and working them all out again, leaving
the road hard and smooth.
The foregoing are nv ideas Of how a
road should be managed where the soil Is
heavy, but on sandy soils | don't think
IL amounts 10 much TO raise the middle
Of the road with sand. have seen a
good piece OF sandy road that has been
kept fiat for years, only smoothed up now
and then. Where the soil Is coarse sand,
gravel or clay should be carted on suiii-
cient TO make Il hard, smooth road. |
have seen sandy road rendered almost
unfit 10 travel by bringing from six
inches TO foot OF sand into the road.
To sum IL all up, we can have good
roads the most OF the time in the summer
without any extra expense, IL those that
hsve the management Of the roads will
get this idea instilled into their minds,
hat in order 20 have good roads you
sHSi have smooth, hard surface.-D.
l.. BRETT iu Maine Farmer.