Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1901-10-18
AGRICULTURAL LETTER.
Work Of international Good
Roads Congress.

The death OF President Mckinley |
and the space allotted thereto and TO
the events resulting therefrom, caused
the international Good Roads Congress |
at Buffalo TO pass almost unnoticed,
even the resolutions adopted thereat
being crowded out of the papers by the
press OF other matter. Yet some OF
these were important and, considering
the size and enthusiasm OF the meeting
were orthy OF better fate. The fol-
lowing extracts from them were OBJ
tanned from Martin Dodge, chief of
The office OF road inquiries of the
Agricultural Department. They have
never been published, even In the farm
ling papers. Resolved" that the need
for investigation and education by the
Government In regard 10 roads Is more
pressing now than ever; that the public
roads office should be enlarged 10 bu-
reau and its appropriation increased to
$3.50, 900 year; that the work OF the
National Good Roads organized in
each state and territory; that thanks
are extended 70 the roads which organ
lied and ran the good roads trains and
the manufacturers that eq quipped them;
that the policy of the Post Office in re-
quiring good roads as prerequisite to
rural free delivery Is commended: that
the roads in Yellowstone Park should
be so improved as to furnish an object
lesson to the country" Three other
resolutions seem worth printing in full.
They are: Resolved, That enterprise
has demonstrated that the greatest
progress for Good Roads has been made
in the states where the system OF State
cooperation has prevailed uuder the
direction and control OF a State High
way Commission or Engineering De-
partment. Therefore, we recommend
this plan to the several states as far as
the same may be applicable to
their conditions Resolved, That this
Congress endorses the use OF convict
labor where practicable, in the work on
public roads or In the preparation OF
materials therefor, thereby taking the
convicts out OF competition with honest
labor. Resolved, That this Congress
heartily approves of the use OF the wide
tire on all public roads and the substi-
tuition OF the payment of the usual road
taxes In cash instead OF in labor.
The fears felt Tor the future Of the
potato. owing to the fact that 1t has for
so long been cultivated exclusively from
"eyes" and not from seed, have been
increased by news received from France
describing new potato disease that is
ravagiHg the fields there. 1t Is we'll
known that all plants propagated by
the above means gradually lose their
vigor and in time-after century or
twO-become so emasculated that they
loose the power OF producing seed and
become subject to diseases that would
not have affected them during the days
OF their pristine vigor. The diiease now
running the plants in France is said to
be Identical with that which once at
tackled tomatoes and egg plants in this
country but which was then resisted by
the potato, which now, in France at
least, seems to have become subject to
1t. The only remedy so far found is to
revert to seeding-a difficult task. in
view OF the fact that not one potato
plant In hundred now natures its seed.