Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-03-03

expert Of the Department of Agricui-
ture. Clay soils of fine texture usual
ly make poor roads, especially if they
contain much vegetable matter. The
coarser soils, however, which contain
some sand or gravel, will often make
very satisfactory roads for light traf-
f1c provided they are kept in proper
repair.
If the road is composed of fine clay
or soil, it will sometimes pay to re d.
surface it with top soil from an ada,
cent field which has sand or gravel
mixed with it. This method, called the
top-soil method, is now in successful
use in Virginia, North Carolina ana
Georgia, and probably other states.
The earth road can best be crowned
and ditched with road machine, and
not with picks and shovels, scoops and
plows. One road machine, with a
suitable power and operator, will do
the work of many men with picks and
shovels, and do it better
The road machine should be used
when the soil is damp, SO as to make
the soil bake when it dries out. If it
is worked dry, it takes more power to
draw the machine, and, besides, dry
earth and dust retain moisture and
quickly rut after rains The use Of
clods, sands, weeds or vegetable matter
in building earth roads should be ay-
oided because they also retain mois-
ture.
1t is a great mistake to put the
working of the earth off until August
or September The surface is then
baked dry and hard 1t is not only
difficult to work but is unsatisfactory
work when done Earth which is loose
and dry will remain dusty as long IS
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 the soil is soft and
damp, the surface is more easily shap-
ed and soon packs down into dry
hard crust which is less liable to be-
come dusty in summer or muddy in
winter.
Storm water should be disposed of
quickly Eefore it has time to penetrate
deeply into the surface. This can be
done by giving the road a crown or
slope from the center to the sides For
an earth road which is "a feet wide tn s
center should be not less than inches
ror more than IL inches higher than
the outer edges of the shoulders. y
narrow road which is too high in the
middle will become rutted almost AZ
quickly as one which is too fat for
the reason that on the narrow read
all the traffic is forced to use only a
narrow strip.
Shoulders are often formed ron both
sides OF the road which prevent storm
water from flowing into side bitches
retaining it in the ruts and softeninc
the roadway These ruts and shout
ders can be entirely eliminated with
the road machine or split-log drag
Ordinarily, the only bitches needed
are those made with the road machine
which are wide and shallow. Deep
narrow bitches wash rapidly espec-
tally on steep slopes, which is another
good reason for decreasing the steep
ness of the grades. 1t is difficult T.
maintain an earth road, Or any kim
o. road for that matter, on steeE
grade.
The width OF the earth road will de
pend on the traffic. AS a rule, % or &c
feet from ditch to ditch is sufficient, il
the road is properly crowned. A roat
that is narrower than % feet is diff
cult to maintain for the above stated
reason, that on narrow roads the teams
are more apt to track than on wider
road causing it to rut if subjected II
heavy hauling.
/ The road should not be loosened
dug or plowed up any more than i,