The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-07-26
GOOD ROADS
AS CROP
PRODUCERS
STUDIES ) h G w
HOW AGRICULTURAL oUTPUi
OF A COUNTY DEPENDS UPON
ITS HIGHROAOS.

Washington July 25.-That an i'm
proved road will increase vastly the
productiyeness of the area through
which it runs has now been satisfac-
torily demonstrated by studies con-
Quoted by the United States depart
ment of agriculture in Virginia. Con-
ditions in Spotsylvania county were
investigated with particular care and
the results have proved surprising. In
1909 the county voted 100000 to i'm
prove 40 miles of roads. Two years
after the completion of this work the
railroad took away in twelve months
from Fredericksburg, the county seat,
1000 tons Of agricultural and forest
products hauled over the highways
to that town. Before the improvement
of the roads, this total was only 49,
600 tons annually; in other words,
the quantity of the county's produce
had risen more than As per cent.
Still more Surprising, however, is
the increase sfcwn in the quantity
of the dairy products. lD 1909 these
amounted to 11i,S15 pounds, in 1911
TO 213,02S pounds, an increase of prac-
tically 40 per cent in two years In
the same time shipments of wheat
had increased SO per cent, tobacco 81
per cent, and lumber and other forest
products As per cent.
In addition to this increase in guam
tity the cost Of hauling each ton OF
produce was materially reduced. In
other words, the farmers not only pro-
duce more, but produce more cheaply,
for the cost of transportation to mar
ket is of course an important factor in
the cost of production From this
point of view it is estimated that
the 100000 spent in improving the
roads in Spotsylvania county saved
| the farmers of that county $4,000
year.
| In the past two years the traffic
studies of the federal experts show
that approximately an average Of 60,
00O tons of outgoing products were
hauled over the improved roads in
the county an average distance of
miles, or total of $4,000 ton
miles" Before the roads were i'm
proved it was estimated that the av
erage cost of hauling was 90 cents a
"ton-mile;" after the improvement
| this fell to Il cents "tonmile" OF
a saving of cents. A saving of
cents per mile on $4,000 "ton miles
IS $4,000 year. The county's in
vestment of 100000, in other words
returns a dividend of 40 per cent
annually.
Because this saving, in cases of this
character, does not take the form ol
cash put directly into the farmers
pocket, there is a widespread tenden
cy to believe that it is a fictitious
profit, while as a matter of fact it is
Just as real source of profit as the
increase in the price of wheat.
In Dinwiddie county, Virginia, fol
example, where peanuts is one of the
staple crops, the average load fol
two mules on a main road was about
1000 pounds before the road was i'm
proved. After its improvement the
average load was found to be 2,OO(
pounds and the time consumed il
hauling the larger load TO market wa!
much reduced. In other words, one
man. with a wagon and two mules
could do more than twice as Gucl
work with the improved road thar
with an unimproved road. This il
the explanation of the extraordinar,
rise in the total output of agricultr
raj products in a county with a goo
road system