The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-01-16
THE MAINTENANCE OF EARTH
ROADS.

ROADS.
We may recognize the value of
hard and durable roads in all parts
OF the country, but still the fact re-
mains that for a long time to come
the majority of the roads will be
about nine months out of the year
the earth road, II properly cared for,
is reasonably satisfactory. For many
agricultural districts, it is the only
road at present available. Hence,
these communities should set them
selves seriously to work to learn the
best methods of maintaining earth
roads and of getting the maximum
service from them. Prosperity comes
to the country to great extent
through the prosperity of the farm
ers. This fact strongly suggests the
importance of giving the earth road
every possible care and attention in
its location, drainage, construction
and maintenance.
AL earth road composed of water
holding soil should be exposed to the
sun and air as freely as possible, as
comparison between the shaded and
sunny portions of such a road will
easily indicate This should be ac-
complished by clearing a sufficient
amount of trees and underground
away from the road. 1t must be re-
membered, however, that sandy and
gravelly roads require moisture, and
in these cases some shade should be
retained. Furthermore trees are ben
official along river banks and on the
steep grades subject to washing. !
Drainage is one of the most i'm
portant points to consider in con-
nection with an earth road. The
majority of earth roads in all noun
famous and billy districts have too
much drainage. Occasionally a road
will be found with five bitches, 3 in
the middle made by the horses
hoofs and by wheels of the vehicles
and two on the sides. All we'll con-
structed earth roads are supposed to
have no more than two bitches, one
way. Keep the water out of the mid
die of the road by giving it crown
or elevation in the center of 7 1-2
inches above the top of the inner
slope of the ditch for a 20-foot road
and where the hills are little steep
make the crown 10 inches. With a
crown of about l inch to the foot
from the center to the sides, the
bitches which are often built across
the road on steep grades to defect
the water will not be needed. Instead
of carrying water across the road in
open bitches, tile or concrete drains
should, If possible, be provided.
They should have sufficient capacity
and fall to carry the maximum
amount of water that is expected to
flow through them at any one time.
The capacity is increased in proper
ton to the fall or grade; for in
stance, - inch pipe laid on a one
per cent grade will carry $500 gal
Ions per minute, while the same pipe
laid on a per cent grade will car
ry $500 gallons per minute. Fur
thermore, culvert laid fat will
soon fill up, while one having a
good incline will keep itself clear.
In the maintenance of an earth
road, avoid the mistake of changing
the natural order of things. Natural
ly the soil is found on top and the
clay on the bottom. If this order Is
reversed in constructing road, the
result will be less satisfactory than
II the soil be left at the top of the
road, for soil makes 4 better surface
to a road than clay, If the road bed
is largely clay to start with, it will
be well to place sandy soil or clean
sand on top. A covering of 6 to 10
inches of sand upon clay that per-
sists in breaking up into deep mud
holes will usually be satisfactory,
and if sand enough be added, this
clay will cease to make mud. If the
roadbed is composed of sand it can
be improved by an application of
clay.
The rule for a serviceable earth
road then, is as follows: Make dit
ches on each side and keep them
open; haul sand and gravel upon
sections needing this treatment; use
a road machine and split log drag
judiciously "a full description of
which will be contained in a later
article); follow the stitch in time"
rule and give an earth road the
same careful, persistent attention
you would give your prize acre, fac
tory or store, and 1t will pay as
large profit in proportion to your
individual outlay.