New-York tribune., 1908-11-22
FARMERS" GET POINTS
ON GOOD ROADS
ADDRESSED By L. ". PAGE
md ". Il. WHITE.
Needs of the Nation and State Ea'-
plcined to Organization of Vel
Knoscn NesC York Men.

At one Of The latest meetings OF the New York
Farmers organization OF New York men VINO
owners OF country estates. and who meet sew
ersl times every winter TO dine and discuss topics
relating 20 country life, papers were read on the
subject Of rural highways by Logan Waller Page'
director OF the Office of public roads. United States
Department OF Agriculture, and William Pierrepont
White. Superintendent OF Roads for Oneida County.
y. Y. The annual publication containing these
addresses has come into the possession Of Tho
Tribune, and believing that the Farmers. although
private organization. will appreciate the fact that
widespread knowledge on the subject OF roads must
be OF great public benefit. take the liberty OF
presenting readers CT The Tribune some OF the
Facts and statements placed before the society.
Mr- Pages remarks were in part as follows;
1t is not my purpose this evening 10 discuss the
economics OF roads; but rather 10 sell YOU S what
constitutes first class rural road. how II is built.
how II is maintained and some Of the problems
700 gse1 that any rock IS suitable for road build
ing IL order TO build satisfactory nacadam roads
Of Tie Tocis 10 be used OF these only three need
be mentioned here. They hardness, toughness
ard cementing or binding power.
BY hardness is meant the power possessed by
abrasion Of wheels ana horses feet Toughness, as
esfSe0 fS 2y Ips9 & e sres Is se Of Ie Which
gives II power resist fracture when subjected 10
distinct from hardness is yet intimately associated
with It. and can in measure make up Tor a den.
be the resistance Of a rock 10 the grinding Of an
when struck wiki hammer. Cementing.or or binding
power IS the property possessed by the dust Of
rock 10 act after Retting cement to the coarser
fragments Of the road, binding them together ana
forming a smooth. imperytoDs shell the sur
face. Such a shell. formed by rock Of high
menting value protects the underlying material and
acts q cushion the blows from traffic, and at
the time reSists the waste OF material caused
by wind and rain. and preserves the foundation by
shedding the surface water
Generally speaking the trap rocks best
adapted the conditions prevailing our prln-
cpaily travelled country roads. rock unsuited for
road surfacing may frequently be used TO advantage
in the foundation and in many cases when the
highly salicious rocks mixed with limestone the
ce1nenting value Of the two combined is much
greater than that Of either. For instance, lime
stone that would give ceInenting value of fifteen
TO twenty and granite that would give cement
Ing value OF twenty-five, when mixed together,
would give q cementiDg value OF 10
The physical properties OF rocks OF the same spe-
Ctes vary widely, and IL Is therefore, safe to
build macadam road without first determining the
physical properties Of the particular rock TO be used
II may be Of interest TO you know that the
United States Office Of Public Roads tests road ma
tertals for any citizen OF The United States
Nr. Page then gave some figures 10 the
tent Of public highways outside OF municipalities.
showing that there nearly two million miles
OF public roads in unimproved condition. large
percentage, however, consisting OF roads little
used that Il would be inadYisable present TO
spend the large Of money necessary for
facing them with hard materials.