The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-10-16

NOTES OF THE FARM. !;
ByW. F. MASSEY, Of A. & M. College


nF. t-
...u soon bc taking an active inter
.,ban the winter comes with its
.. and frost, and that is the roads.
r.. EASY philosophy Of our farmers
.l. road question reminds us Of
,l.a.-.~ Mddler whose roof never
t I'm sunny weather. Our clay
wear smooth and hard during
...,..., and we are apt to forget that
t--r rains OF fall VIII make them
.l- and ere long the team that
a|ooo NOW With several bales of
.... yr. n cord of wood Will not be
,.. ,.r to town with wood enough
., for the time and wear and tear
..4,r, and wagon. The farmers pay
raoH4h i'm this way every winter
,,akr aII the roads good. \ dirt
All can he made good if properly
.nad I'D drain and the surface is
.I.rd with material that will stand
+ar V binding together just enough
a,J 10 keep it hard in wet weather
NJ ray enough to keep it firm in dry
.a+htr. I'm many parts of the east
section there are roads of deep
.I where firm roads would be OF
h. easiest construction. | passed,
... -rme since over Il long stretch Of
r.n sand leading to a county seat in
EASTERN North Carolina where q ditch
s.rhrr side would havc~revealed the
,ra..nca of sandy clay that if
uorn over the we'll drained sand
.fe.r would have made the road
~ h Ip
n is horse can only pull a light
.-rry in Il slow walk. All over East
~ Narrh Carolina this reddish clayeN
sen is found ready at hand to make
ara. and smooth roadway. Fayette-
an4 after having its main street a
r,5q ryuanse of sand for generations
a.af last found out that this SubsOll
m,4r,gl is lust what has been long
.sard To- make the streets firm. The
rT wonder is that it took so many
a-sariouS to find this out.
rtbp hin country between Haielgh
~ mrham we once drove with a
rs sm of horses to get to Durham
a-arlv morning when there was
r-a i'm that direction. The road
n, red CLAW trench. and the road
-a14r,. or rather the road spoilers
fe THROWN the mud from the sides
Of -ha road TO the middle and haC
made eep bed of mud for Vehicles
nmll through so deep in fact thai
ar team pulled the double tree II
wo and We had to cut sapling II
H4 woods Ia splice it with piece OF
a- wire that happened to be III th'
Gm.age. MI alongside of TINS clay
| french called a road the tields are
ndamZed all over with broker
gr.> ig~t the size 10 make a road
ud I'm some places the farmers ha'
ne- nck~ of these rocks alongside o
the road to- get them off the felds
and they we're hauling to Ralelgh anf
| Jaraam through Maud half axle deel
ah-n there was material for hare
aaI foot deep right at hand aAS
. only waiting for some road mendel
| with sense enough to fill the claN
trench with the rock and make q
aan road forever. But II there Is NJ
1ea at hand. q clay road properl,
lared 10 drain we'll and covered VIII
aGd or Gravel can easily be made q
a seasons. especially ii all who hau
5tr Them would use wide tired Wagoi
Wheels instead OF ---e narrow one
'4@' cur the road to pieces. Our roa'
f.ar system is all wrong, and IN
afner- themselves are largely re
la.sInie fer il. The taxes that Wou-,
DE- leedel 10 make and keep Soo'
la> woHId be light when compares
TN the tax the farmers now pay II
+na ~