The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-26
SAFEGUARDING ROADS

H
 Water, not cold, is the cause of the deterioration of roads in winters. ac- cording to the road specialists of the United States Department of Agricul- ture. Cold weather does not in itself injure roads no matter whether they are earth, gravel orr macadaTn. In fact an earth road will stand more traffic when it is solidly frozen than at any other time Excess water, however, is alway always detrim to a high way. When cold weather turns this watt into ice, the damage that it does is greatly increased. Ice occupies con siderabIy more space than the water from which it is formed, and every person who has lived in a cold cli- mate is familiar with the powerful bursting effect of water when left to freeze in confined vessel. The same action takes place when a wet road freezes to any considerable depth. It simply bursts or, as we generally term it in road parlanee, the road heaves, Later when the frost leaves, the road is disintegrated and ruts badly. If this process is repeated a number of of times during the winter, a gravel or macadam road may be practically destroyed, while the earth road may become entirely impassible.
 E A dry road will never heave. Rock. gravel, sand, and even clay when perfectly dry contract slightly on freezing, these materials must contain or be mixed with water, and the more water they contain the greater the ex-1 pansion which takes place. But SO long as the road remains frozeny the damage does not become appaFent Hence the frequent and erroneous idea that it is the thaw$ that in3ures the road. The injury was done when the water in the. road froze and the particles of the road surface-broken stone, sand or still finer particles of h 4axy 7-t 11H the expanding power of the freezing water. The thaw only merely allows the ice to melt and assume it's origin al volume of water.
 The remedy is self evident Keep the water out of the road. The time to begin preventive measures is early in the fall. before the rains begin. If the road goes into the winter tT1ir- oughIy dry with the surface and drain age in good condition. the chances are extremely favorable that it will come out all right the following spring.
 Keep the ditches and drains open Remove all accun u1ations of weeds, grass etc. which tend to retain mois- tare and obtructS drainage. Further more, do this work early, while the ground is still dry and hard. Vegeta- ton and litter hold water like a sponge and allow it to gradual1y to soak in and soften the earth. The job before the, road man is to keep the hard dry surface formed in the sum- naer time from the fall and winter rains and snows. When the fall rains begin the earth or gravel road should be dragged frequently to prevent the formation of ruts and the collection of water All travelled places on ma cadam surfaces should be carefully filled in and consolidated
 During the winter, whenever there is a sthaw coming on. the cross drains and the side ditcK1es should be opened ID as far as possible. so as to prevent water collecting along the roadway. If the thaw so pronounced that the roadway is softened, the drag should be used sometimes one-round trip of the drag, with the hitch reversed. will entirely rid the earth road of s1ush and melting snow and leave the. road surface practically dry. Don't get the idea that the drag is not needed on your earth and gravel roads in the winter time is an ordinary one and you will need it many times.
 2 Winter destruction begins in the early fall The best way to prevent such destruction is to forestall it. Keep the road dry. and remember and remember so long as 1t remains so it will not be seriously injured by frost. Keep the drains open, the dit aases clear, remove all vegetation and sfster, and use the drag frequently. If tn road is kept dry to a depth of two feet below the surface little trou- ble will be experienced from the cold est weather.