The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-01
wealth of the United S,aves of 5000,
100000 q year

wealth of the United Slaves of $500,
100000 a year.
Truck products and small fruits
must be delivered quickly to market
IL any profit fs to be realized. Truck
and small fruit farms cannot be main
tanned with profit II long haul over
bad roads interyenes between them
and the railroad station. A net work
OF first class hard, smooth roads will
almost Immediately increase the num-
| Der of truck fruit and dairy farms IN
any community. The average Waite
OF the various products per acre gives
some idea of the possibilities to tie
farmer if he Is enabled to turn more
readily to, the raising of fruits ana
vegetables. While the average valae
of wheat per acre is only s7,o2 and
corn 1912. the average value of vege-
tables per acre ia about $40. and of
small fruits, $50,
Evils Bad Roads Work.
There Is steady trend of popula-
ton from the country to the city. and
this may be attributed to some extent
| to bad roads During the ten-year
period, lSs0-l900, while the increase in
the total population of the United
States was 13,ll0,000, $4,000 Of this
total represented The increase in city
population. In other words, the cities
gained 2.l74,000 more people Than the
country. In 1850 only 1871 per cent
Of the population lived in cities; in
| 1900 the city population represented
about 81 per cent of the total, and
now II Is probably about As per cent
With hundreds of millions of acres
Of land unculrivated, in fact with linn
itless possibilities OF home building
and wealth production throughout
the country, We have the spectacle of
hundred If thousands Of human beings
crowded into the cities while year ny
year tie human tide rufts- restfrSSiv
in from the country 10 furnish more
consumers and decrease the number
! Of producers.
Population and Roads.
70 prove that a relation exists he
tween the question OF population and
roads the following illustration may
be cited In twenty FIVE counties Sc
lected from Eastern. Southern. West
ern and Northwestern States. It has
been found that only / IL per cent
| Of roads were improved in 1905 These
same counties show an actual decrease
in population averaging 3.if2 for each
county for the l0year period, 1890
1900, Twenty-Five other counties. To-
Gated in the same States. containing
40 per cent Of improved roads, show
an aCtuat increase In population Tor
each county Of 1895.
Whether good roads cause good
schools or vice versa, Il ia true that
they exist to gether, and that one ~
the most important reasons for their
improvements Is their effect on school
| attendance 1.-THE country. II the
country school are to have a ma xfmum
efficiency in training and instruction
the children must he AFFORD ed facli.
tiles for reaching them. With i'm
| proved roads. the graded school and
| the consolidated achoof with replace
| the little one-room, e-teacher
| schools SO prevalent in many sections
! Of the country
The possibilities of region If
! improved soads are made apparent
| by many examples Of schools which
| operate wagons regularly which
I gather up tile pupils and carry them
| to and from school, when the roa DIS
| are placed In such condition as 10
make this practice general. tire
| nendous impetus will he given -
| education in the United States,
To illustrate this phnss OF the sub
! ject, the following example may be
! r-ittd tatseaFiatre4ti- ft.F
/ their good roads. there was, in 1909.
/ an average school attendance Of T7-ff
per cent while IN five other States
/ having exceptionally bad roads. the
average was only 1915 per cent.
+ Furthermore. IL has been ascertained
that in the Ave State having an ex-