Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-01-24
U. S. Department of Agriculture,
Office of Public Roads,
Washington, u. G..

u. S. Department of Agriculture,
Office of Public Roads,
Washington, d. C.
We may recognize the value of hard
and durable roads in all parts Of the
country, but still the fact remains that
for long time to come the majority of
the roads will be composed of earth.
Furthermore, in about nine months out
of the year the earth road, if properly
cared for, is reasonably satisfactory.
For many agricultural districts, it is the
only road at present available. Hence,
these communities should set themselves
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 farmers. This fact strongly sug-
gests the Importance of giving the eearth
road every possible care and attention
in its location, drainage, construction
and maintenance.
An earth road composed of water
holding soil should be exposed to the sun
and air as freely as possible, as COM
parison between the shaded and sunny
portions of such a road will easily indi-
cate. This should be accomplished by
clearing sufficient amount of trees and
underground away from the road. 1t
must be remembered, however, that
sandy and gravelly roads require nlois-
ture, and in these cases some shade
should be retained. Furthermore, trees
are beneficial along river banks and on
steep grades subject to washing.
Drainageis one of the most important
points to consider in connection with an
earth road. The majority of earth roads
IN all mountainous and hilly districts
have too much drainage. Occasionally
road will be found with five bitches,
three in the middle made by the horses
hoofs and by wheels of the vehicles,
and two on the sides. Ali well-con-
structed earth roads are supposed to
have no more than two bitches, one on
each side of the travelled roadway.
Keep the water out of the middle of the
road by giving it crown or elevation
in the center of II inches above the top
OF the inner slope of the ditch for
2O-foot road, and where the hills are
little steep make the crown 10 inches.
With crown of about / 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
proportion to the fall or grade; for in
stance, 12-inch pipe laid on one per
cent grade will carry 300 gallons per
minute, while the same pipe laid on q
2 per cent grade will carry 2, 500 gallons
per minute. Furthermore, culvert
laid fiat will soon fill up, while one
having good incline will keep itself
clear.
In the maintenance of an earth road
avoid the mistake of changing the nat
ural order of things. Naturally the sol
is found on top and the clay on the bot
tom. If this order is reversed in con
structing road, the result will be lesI
satisfactory than If the soil be left a
the top of the road, for soil makes
better surface to a road than clay. /
the road bed is largely clay to star
with, IT will be well to place sandy sol
or clean sand on top. A covering of
to 10 inches of sand upon clay that per
sists in breaking up into deep madhole
will usually be satisfactory, and if SAM
enough be added, this clay will ceas