Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-06-21

" of construction is sufficient
ly permanent to admit OF
the roads being left to take care of
itself. Whether built of earth or
stone. it will eventually wear into ruts
and holes, the time depending upon
The quality of the material, the form of
construction and the amount of the
traffic. When ruts OF holes have been
formed, the deterioration of the road
will proceed rapidly unless repairs arc
promptly made.
The chief object in the maintenance
of an earth road is to get rid of the
water as quickly and as fully as posi-
bic. In maintenance, as in construc-
ton, water is the great enemy of good
roads. The secret of success in main
tenance is to keep the surface smooth
and the side bitches open.
If the surface of the roadway is prop
crly formed and kept smooth, the
water will be shed into the side bitches
and do comparatively little harm. but
IL it remains upon the surface, it will
be absorbed and convert the road into
mud. If all ruts, depressions and mud
holes are not filled as soon as they APP
pear, they will retain the water upon
the surface, to be removed only by
gradually soaking into the roadbed
and by slowly evaporating. and each
passing wheel or hoof will help to de-
stroy the road. All inequalities of the
surface, the depressions and the mud
holes, are caused by water softenins
the roadbcd. A hard road can not DO
made out of soft mud, and no amount
of labor and machinery will make an
earth road that will stay good unless
an adequate plan is adopted to get rld
of the water. Water is hard to confine
and easy to let loose. 1t is always
seeking q chance to run down hill.
The chief duty of the road tender is to
give it a chance to get away.
In the winter there frequently comes
times when the road is full of holes
and ruts, while the surface soil is dry
and mellow. This condition occurs
most frequently when the ground De-
low the surface is frozen. Ii at THIS
time a harrow is run over the road II
will fill up the ruts and holes and leave
the surface smooth. This improves
the road for present travel, and gives
smooth surface which will greatly de-
crease the deterioration Of the road ny
subsequent rains. Often there is only
q few hours in the middle OF the DAY
when the frost is out of the ground
sufficiently to permit this work to be
done. and therefore it is best to nave
each farmer harrow the road adjoining
| his own land. The ordinary augusta
BILE farm harrow should be used, anu
the teeth should be set to slope well
back. The labor required is not great,
since a twelve-foot harrow can be useo
and then q single round is sufhclent.
THE work comes at a time Of the year
when the farmers time is usually not
very valuable, and hence the expense
| "a small. The writer has seen frequent
examples Of this method or treating
the roads, which have proved very
beneficial, both in securing good ROADS
and preserving them.
In the early spring just after Inc
| frost goes out of the ground, eartn
roads are usually full of deep ruts. Az
this time the roads can be greatly I'M
proved by running over them that tool
called indifferently "road machine
road grader" "road plane" or road
Iegeler." The object is simply to cut
off the ridges and ill up the ruts, and
TINS "preak the way" for travel. 1t II
well to break the road early in the sea-
son. both to accommodate the present
travel and to hasten the coming Oh a
letter condition of the road. 1t ~
much more economical to make the
road smooth with the machine than 10
wear it down by travel.