The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-06-25
TIL. Highways Of New Jersey.

thirty years ago ABOUT the nrsi
macadam roads in the State were built
in Essex County, N. j. The work
was gradually extended, and was
taken up by Union County, and these
two counties laid many miles of stone
roads before the system of State AID
was inaugurated. At the present
time, nearly every county in the State
is building macadam roads. The State
bears one-third of the expense, but SO
many applications are now made for a
share of the annual appropriation
that the 100000 appropriated will
need to be raised to three times that
amount if the contemplated roads are
to be built.
In 1891 the appropriation was $780,
600. In 1898 it was increased to $780,
900, but only $40, 900 were spent. In
1894 four counties were building roads,
and the whole appropriation was used;
in 1895 six counties were at work; in
1896 there were eight counties; in
1897 eleven counties, and now nine
teen out of the twenty-one counties in
the State have made application for
their shares.
There are now so many miles OF
stone roads in the State that it can be
traversed in nearly oil directions with.
out leaving them. During the past
year the expense of building macadam
roads was considerably reduced. II
order to preserve good roads and i'm
prove bad ones, it is proposed to givt
a rebate of dollar and -a-half In taxes
for each wheel in habitual use on heavy
wagons whose tire is four inches o.
more in breadth.
Under the law passed last year com
missioners have determined the valu,
of some of the toll roads, and If thu
policy is pursued the State will sooI
possess nothing but free public high
ways.
| Economy of Broad Tires.
The Missouri Experiment Station
(Columbia) recently published an il
Illustrated bulletin describing serie
of interesting experiments on tn
draught of broad and narrow tired
wagon wheels. The tests were mad
with each kind on macadam, gravel an,
dirt roads and on farm fields in al
conditions. The experiments are sum
married. as follows:
The broad tires pulled MATERIAL,
lighter on the macadam streets and tn
gravel roads; also on dirt roads in 81
conditions, except when soft or slopp
on the surface, underlaid by har'
| roadbed, and when the mud was yer
deep and sticky. In both these cor
ditions the narrow tires pulled COL
siderably lighter. 1t should be born
in mind, however, that the roads ar
in these conditions for comparativel
short period of time, and this at SCI
sons when their use has naturall
!; been reduced to the minimum. Th
tests on meadows. pastures, stubbl
land, corn land and ploughed groun
in every condition, from dry, hard an
firm to very wet and soft, show, will
out single exception, large savin
in draft by the use of the broad tires
, The bulk of The hauling done by ii
; farmer is on the farm, in hauling fee
: from the fields and hauling msnur
from the barns, etc. The actual tor
t mage hauled to market is insignifcal
: in comparison with that hauled abou
, on the farm, inasm1ch as large pr
: portion of the products of the averal
. farm is sent to market in the form
live stock or its products.-Far ar
! Fireside.
System In Road Maintenance.
No one has ever supposed that raj
road corporations spend money for Il