The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1908-09-16
HIGHWAY DRAINAGE.
Tiles Are Best For Gravel or
Stone Roads.
SOME POINTS ON THE WORK.

Undertakings Below Surface With
Farm Tiles Great Protection-Side
bitches That Hold Water Make an
Inferior Roadway.
Tile drainage, says Professor Ira o.
Baker, is the very best preparation for
a gravel or stone road Gravel or
broken stone placed upon an undrained
foundation is almost sure to sink grad
ually, whatever its thickness. whereas
a thinner layer upon an underdrained
rCadbed will give much better service
Roads tiled without gravel are better
than roads graveled without tile"
The road should be undetermined so
as to keep the water level well below
the road surface. In most localities
this can be accomplished reasonably
well by laying line of farm tile three
or three and half feet below the road
surface along one side of the road
way. 1t is sometimes claimed that
there should be a tile on each side of
the road.
Some writer's on good roads advocate
the use of line of tile under the mid
die of the travelled portion, and some
advocate a line ON each side of the
wheelway. The object sought by these
tiles is rapid drainage. and therefore 1t
is urged that they should be laid near
the surface 1t is doubtful whether
any water will reach the tile. since the
road surface when wet is puddled by
the traffic, which prevents the water
percolating through the soil. and it is
certain that in clay or loan the drain
age thus obtained is Of no practical
value. More than one farmer has tried
to drain his barnyard by laying tile
near the surface. always without ap-
preciable effect.
While a line Of tile on one side of
the road is usually sufficient, there is
often a great difference as to the side
on which it should be laid. If one side
of the road is higher than the other
the tile should be on the high side to
intercept the ground water that is
flowing down the slope under the sur
face.
The tile should be laid in the bottom
of the silt ditch below the frost line.
OF course the tile should have a uni
form grade and sufficient fall and an
adequate outlet The size Of the tile
required will depend upon the length
of the line and the grade Of the ditch.
but local experience in farm drainage
is likely to be a better guide than any
general statement that can be made.
Farm drainage is almost certain to
precede road drainage in any particu-
lar locality.
The side bitches are to receive the
water from the surface of the Travelled
way and should carry 1t rapidly and
entirely away from the roadside. They
are useful also to intercept and carry
off the water that would otherwise
flow from the side hills upon the road
Ordinarily they need not be deep and
if possible should have a broad. far
ing side toward the Travelled way tC
prevent accident If vehicle should be
crowded to the extreme side of the
roadway. The outside bank should be
fat enough to prevent caving. The
proper form of ditch is easily made by
the usual road machine or road grad
er. The side ditch should have a free
outlet into some stream so as to carry
the water entirely away from the road
No good road can be obtained will
side bitches that hold the water unit
it evaporates.
Much alleged road work is a posi-
tive damage for this reason. Piling VI
the earth in the middle Of the road Il
perhaps in itself well enough. but leav
ing undrained holes at the side of thu
road probably more than counterbal
ances the benefits of the embankment
A road between long artificial ponds ii
always inferior and is Otter tnpassa
BILE. 1t is cheaper and bst:er to maxi
lower embankmaS~. Ind to drail
thoroughly the holes at the side Of tn
roads. Often me public funds can b
more wise,J used in making bitches 4