The Marshall republican., 1914-04-24
MAKING Il ROADS.
The office Of Information Of United
States Department Of Agriculture
Makes Suggestions.

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WASHINGTON, ID. c., April H.
, AS soils differ for agricultural pur-
poses, so they differ for roads, says
the road expert of the Department of
agriculture. Clay or soils OF fine
texture usually make poor roads. es-
pecially II they contain much vege-
able matter. The coarser soils. how
ever, which contain some sand or
gravel. will often make very satisfac-
tory roads for light traffic provided
they are kept in proper repair.
IL the road Is composed OF fine clay
or soil, II will sometimes pay to re-
surface It with top soil from an adj
jacent field which has sand or gravel
mixed with Il. This method. called
the top-soil method. is now In sue
cesstul use in virginia. North Caro-
lima and Georgia, and probably other
states.
The earth road can best be crowned
and ditched with a road machine, and
not with picks and shovels, scoops.
and plows. One road machine. with
n suitable power and operator. will do
the work of many men with picks and
shoyels. and do It better.
The road machine should be used
when the soil Is lamp, so as to make
the soil bake when IL dries out II
It Is worked dry. 1t takes more power
TO draw the machine, and, besides,
dry earth and dust retain moisture
and quickly rut after rains. The
use OF clods, sods, weeds or vegetable
matter In building earth roads should
be eyoidod because they also retain
moisture.
IL Is n great mistake to put the
working OF the earth off until August
or September. Tho surface Is than
baked dry and hard. II Is not only
difficult to work but Is unsatisfactory
work when done. Earth which is
loose and dry will remain dusty as
long as the dry weather lasts and
then turn to mud as soon as the rains
begin. BY using the road machine
In the spring OF the year while tho
soil IL soft and damp. the surface "a
more easily shaped and soon packs
down iuto a dry hard crust which ia
less liable TO become dusty In summer
or muddy in winter.
Storm water should be disposed OF
quickly before II has time to pene-
trate deeply into the surface. This
can be done by giving the road q
crown or slope from the center to the
sides. For an earth road which IL
} "a feet wide the center should be not
less than 6 inches nor more than 4.
: inches higher than the outer edges %
, tho shoulders. a narrow road whicl
! Is too high In the middle viii becom,
rutted almost as quickly AZ n which
} Is too flat for the reason that on Tho
marrow road all the traffic Is forced
to use only q narrow strip.
Shoulders are often formed on botl
sides of the road which prevent storm
water from flowing into side bitches
retaining It in the ruts aud soiteninI
the roadway. These ruts and shout
ders car be entirely eliminated will
the road machine or split-iog drag.
Ordinarily. the only bitches needed
! are those made with the road mach
Inc. which are wide and shallow. DeeI
narrow bitches wash rapidly. especi
ally on stee1 slopes. which Is anothe
good reason for decreasing the steep
! ness OF the grades. II is difficult Il
maintain an earth road. or any kind
OF road for that matter. on a stee,
grade.
The width of the earth road will
depend on the traffic. As a rule, 2t
=, or so feet from ditch to ditch il suf
: %ficient, II the road is properly crown
ed. A road that Is narrower than 81