The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-10-25
TIE FARM ER'S INTEREST IN
GOOD ROADS,

GOOD ROADS.
While every farmer may not be look
ing to u sale Of his lands, he is certain
ly interested in their increased value
as 4 part Of the estate he will some day
leave to his children. 1t is an undis-
putcd fact that good roads increase
the Salablc value of farm property for
more than their cost TO the farm. And
it is not only the public roads but the
farm roads that need attention. Where
farm is properly laid out and good
hard roads are maintained TO every
part of it, the crops are more easily
moved; and III the busy season much
time can he saved on large farm BY
having hay barracks convenient TO the
moving liclds where hay can be stored
temporarily, and hauled 10 the barn in
the leisure season. But if when this
leisure season comes, the farm roads
are deep quagmircs, this saving Of time
cannot be afforded and the teams must
haul the hay to the barn in the busiest
season because then the ground is dry.
The writer once managed 4 large stock
farm in Il mountain country, where the
mud in wet weather, and by using op,
portuniticS that came at times we
gradually got the farm roads macad-
amizcd with the abundant rocks that
cncumbcred the hills. Then when
haying on the low grounds we were not
obliged to hurry the hay up The lunm
hills leading TO the barn, but could put
il under temporary shelters alongside
the meadows TO be hauled at leisure.
This saving of time in haying and
harvest will soon pay for making good
roads on the farm.
But il is the public roads over which
all of the farm produce sold must be
cal ricd TO market that require the first
attention. On a well kept earth road
TO Cape Charles City, Va. single pair
road, and the mules are not worked
near so hard rs they would be to haul
10 barrels ON Il soft and muddy road.
This is an immense gain to the truck
farmer who has to use cVe"y effort TO
get his produce of to market III the
earliest possible moment. One trip on
the hard road saves five others, and
doe il with l"Ss wear on team or war-
ON. The same saving can he made on
any farm which has produce to be
hauled, and the most amazing thing
about il is that the farmers who arc
most interested in having good roths
than any other class, arc usually the
ones who oppose extra taxes for the
arc annually losing far more than the
tax by reason of the mud. a pair Of
horses will haul Il load of wheat to
market ON good roads while the same
pair Will have to work harder to haul I
fourth of q load in times Of mud and
bad roads.
There is no tax that the farmer gets
back more rapidly than Il tax for good
roads. But we must remember that
good roads need care rs much rs any
10 keep them good Any neglected
road will wear out. and we have before
us daily road that was well macadam-
izGd ten years ago, and which has Il
heavy travel over it and has gotten
road Il supply of finely broken rock |
kept IN piles at intervals Will make the
the mcndng easy and the road will
keep good. This will be far less cX-
pcnsivc than letting il run down before
undertaking its repair. The same may
be said of sand roads that are covered |
with clay or gravel The holes should |
be patched us soon as they arc holes.
Sand and gravel on clay roads will |
work into holes at times, and once hav-
ING a good road surface Il little care all |
thc time will keen it GOOD. This care
of the roads might dcvolvc on the own
crs of the land fronting on it, and
once having good road made, the
keeping of 1t should be the pride of
every farmer along its route. All rail
road companies should pay special tax
for the keeping of good roads to their
stations, for they profit thereby, and it
is to their interest to make the stations
acccsslblc.-Pr0cticGl Ftumcr.