Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-03-10
ROADS AND THEIR REASONS.

For the following pertinent remarks
on roads and their reasons we are in
debted to Barton's superintendent of |
state road work, who has called our |
attention to some very ably written
articles. in publications devoted to
bodybuilding. |
"The little attention needed by earth |
roads must be given at the proper time
if the best results are to be obtained. ="
eve must not forget that thousands |
of miles of earth roads will always be
earth roads, and that good folks live |
along earth roads as well as along i'm
proved roads.
'fThe road that will stand up under
the load is the road for the place" |
''Don't overlook the fact that drag
can be used with good results, on a
gravel road as we'll as on earth roads.
Road men should grade their roads
in early spring. The practice of grad
ing roads in the fall cannot be too
severely condemned. Roads graded in
the fall are usually in worse condition
the next spring than if they had not
been touched
every road commissioner should
read, study, and familiarize himself
with modern methods of road con
StructiOn, maintenance and repair
In the time of our grandfathers a
man was appointed as overseer of road
building and the following method was
employed. 1t was the duty of this
man to "warn OUT each able bodied
man between the ages of twenty-one
and fifty, men of his district-his near
est neighbors-to work a certain Sec
ton of the road at a certain time of
the year The warning OUT process
was naturally done, only after spring S
work and falls work was finished, and
since the men under him were his
friends and neighbors, of course he
was not very insistent that they per-
form the work imposed upon them by
law. In this manner each farmer of
that time paid his road tax, idling
away six days of each year in what
was supposed to be road building, and
which, being done at that time of the
benefit.
Today it is different. The town is
the unit, and over the town is a cen.
tralized state authority from which q
uniformity of plans is carried into
execution. The town unit gives, OF
should give, good roads through the
town and the state system sees to il
that connecting highways for through
travel are we'll kept and uniformly
graded, drained and surfaced so far as
practical. This, everyone admits, is g
much better system than the old.
Yet, it is we'll that we should look
upon the road question as something Of
a local problem because the road over
which each man hauls his produce tt
market is of vital interest to him
Agriculture to a large degree is de
pendent upon the cost Of marketing
and the cost of marketing is often {
question of getting to the population
centers and railroad towns. 1t there
fore follows that there may be either
prosperous or an abandoned farm az
the direct or indirect result of roac
conditions.
A great many of our roads will never
become selected highways, but ever
the earth road, properly and timely
worked, can be made not simply passa
BILE. but in every way practical high
way for the purpose for which it is in
tended.
Visiting automobiles will agree
that our roads compare very favorably
with other New England states and il
fact are much better than some of ou
nearly states, but we have just com
menced to study the road question ant
within the next decade we predict tina
Vermont will be the leader in goot
roads. Ten years have made som'
wonderful changes in our roads and tn,
man who has been responsible for tn
changes is our present governor.
Uncle Sam is waging a relentle s
war on the deadly housefy and in
late bulletin prepared by the depart
ment Of agriculture, valuable informa
ton is given on the best means O
combating this deadly pest. The mos
effective way of exterminating the fly
according to the bulletin, is to eradi
cate his breeding place. The breedin,
season Of the fly begins in March AMI
continues throughout the spring AM
summer months. All dirt should b.
removed from the premises, stable
cleaned and decaying vegetables de
stroyed. The fly has rightly beer
called the undertaker's travelling sales
man. and in addition to his regular lin,