The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-01-23
HOW To HAVE GOOD ROADS
Practical Suggestions OH ROAD Build
ing by Department of Agric- lture.

cal articles on various features of
road building and maintenance,
which will be published from time
to time. Our subscribers are urg-
ed TO give this matter careful con-
sideration, and are requested to
forward to this office for trans
mission to the Office of Public
Roads any practical question which
they desire answered relating 10
road construction and main
tenance. Questions and answers
will be published by this paper at
suitable intervals
No. I, Series a.
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. Further
more, in about nine months out of
the year, the earth road, if prop
erly cared for, is reasonably salts
factory, 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
suggests the importance of giving
the earth road every possible care
and attention in its location, drain
age, construction and mainten-
ance.
An earth road composed of
water holding soil should be ex-
posed 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 accomplished by
clearing a sufficient amount Of
trees and underground away from
the road. It must be remember
ed, however, that sandy and
. gravelly roads require moisture,
and in these cases some shade
should be retained. Furthermore,
trees are beneficial along river
banks and OH steep grades subject
to washing
Drainage is one of the most inn
portant points to consider in CON
nection with an earth road. The
majority of earth roads in all
mountainous and hil1y districts
have too much drainage. Oc-
casionally a road will be found
with five bitches, three in the
middle made by the horses hoofs
and bV wheels of the vehicles and
two on the sides All well-con-
structed earth roads are supposed
10 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 a crown or elevation in the cen.
ter of ~ 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
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 carry.
ing water across the road in open
bitches, tile or concrete drains
should, if possible, be provided.
They should have sufficient capa.
city 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 instance, I2.inch pipe laid on
a one per cent, grade will carry
800 gallons per minute, while
the same pipe laid on a ? per cent
grade will carry $500 gallons pei
minute. Furthermore, a culvert
laid fiat will soon fill up, while
one having a good incline will