Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-09-16

tain TO label a Candy Road" In
all flights of fancy it is probable
that nobody except scientist
would so so far a6eld in research
as to adopt molasSes as a road build
ing material, but that is exactly
what has been done here, and AS
siStant Chemist Provost Hubbard
of Director Pages scientific corps
is leveling half mile stretch of
road near Newton, and in a few
days will be in active supervision
of the laying of the first molasses
road of history. This molaSses is
the almost useless by-product of
the great cane sugar refineries Of
the South, and the beet sugar re-
tincrieS of the West and Southwest.
1t Is sickishly sweet, nearly SIS
black and as thick as tar. and al
most as powerful as a binder.
Having always been waste pro-
duct, it can be bought at lower
price than coal tar and i'm greater
quantities.
When the quantity and the sticky
consistency of this material was
called TO the attention of Director
Page. q number OF months ago, he
conceived the idea that it might
aid in solving the always difficult
problem of dusty roads. He sent
for u supply for laboratory expert
ments and detailed Mr.. Hubbard
TO conduct them. The molssses
was blended with oils and lime
water; was mixed with rock dust,
with earth and with sand and tried.
1t behaved ST. we'll and held out
such promises for ideal roads that
the practical test Of a real road was
recently decided upon.
Stag as the useless by-product of
the blast furnaces and 'molasses"
as the useless by-product of the
sugar re6neries may in few years
revolutionize country road build
ing; create demand for more ex-
tended roads in the States where
those produsts are most easily to
be had, and add millions to the
wealth of the country by putting
a cash value on hitherto waste
material.
While experts are laboring with
these unique material experiments
in East, South and Middle West.
another scientist, also from the
Office of Public Roads, is engaged
ut Independence, Kansas, in trying
to devise a method of constructing
oiled roads analogous tothe methods
which have produced the famous
oiled roads of Southern California.
He Is mixing heavy oils, possess
ing pronounced asphaltic bases
with natural soil and sand and
compacting that preparation with
a tamping roller. One stretch
of this peculiar class of highway
will be under construction within
few days. The oiled roads of
California have saved millions of
dollars to the farmers and fruit
growers of that fertile State in the
last few years 10y suppressing the
dust that formerly arose in blind
ing clouds with the passing of every
vehicle. Those dust clouds, float
ing TO adjacent fields and orchards
deprecated the price of farm pro-
duce and lowered the values of
real estate TO a startling degree.
The sprinkling of oil was tried and
the dust was held in check. Then
some of the roads were plowed and
the oil mixed with the earth and
the mass firmly rolled to properly
crowned surface. Splendid results
followed in most instances.
Kansas has long been dust ridden
and the oiled roads now to be built
there will, it is hoped, prove as
beneficial to the people of that
commonwealth as the California
roads have to that State.
There is now in course of prep
aration comprehensive treatise on
Dust Prevention which will fall
from the presses of the Government
Printing Office in a few days.
Following it in few weeks will be
a symposium embodying the ex-
perience and the experiments of all
State highway commissioners, park
boards and city engineers who
have done any work alone these
lines. Their views and findings
will be supplemented by the reports
of federal Public Road Expert