The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-02-24

for waterways. Two good bitches
help make a road The width of a
road should be such that there shall
be ample room for teams and autos
to pass, 16 it. or more.
BY browning is meant making the
center of the road higher than the
edges. The object of the crown is
that the water may flow rapidly into
side bitches The sleeper the grade
of road the greater the crown, but not
so great as to cause water to flow too
fast TO side bitches so as to cut up the
surface. This causes traffic to follow
the center of the road aud wear out
the center faster than the sides, II
not crowned enough the road soon is
worn hollow and becomes a water
way or mud puddle. Crowns should
be ga inch to the foot.
The worst enemy Of an earth road
is water or lack of proper drainage.
Water collected means mud. Water
allowed to run down roadway so
washes the surface into gullies that If
not repaired at once the damage will
prove serious hinderance TO travel.
The side bitches and surface must
be so done so that all water reaching
roadway shall he at once taken
away from the road to keep 1t dry.
After a rain the surface OF a road soon
dries out but II the, foundation is still
wet and soft, traffic will break
through this crust and make ruts and
depressions in the surface of the
road.
These ruts are filled With water by
the first rain and these ruts act as
water courses so that the road is q
mass Of mud and gullies.
Here is where we need mainten-
ence. A small depression fills with
water and soon becomes a mud hole.
An INSTRUCTED side ditch forces the
water to run down the center of road
way and gullies out the surface. A
defect which could be remedied in the
beginning with a shovel OF dirt. If ne.
elected. may require wagon loads and
days of time.
Our roads should be maintained as
we'll as constructed. The most Inn
portant part of maintaining a road is
erly crowned so that all water falling
on the road is at once shed to We'll
defined side bitches. This can be
properly done by the use Of a split-log.
drag. A harrow can be used il a road
way is badly cut up and a log-drag
harrow cuts the shoulders OF the ruts.
When ii is necessary to fill hole
in the road, care should be taken to
first clean out all mud or top material
in hole down to clean solid material.
Use the same material the road is
made of or else the place will wear
uneven, getting rough and soon turn
ing into "a mud hole. Again, do not
fill mud holes with stones as you soon
win have mud hole on each side of
the stones
Always bear in mind the easiest
way to keep an earth road in shape is
to keep the surface even and well
drained Stones should be kept from
the road and not stored in side bitches
to obstruct the flow Of water. Side
bitches should be kept clean and free
from all rubbish.
Bear in mind that by patrol sys-
TEN of constant maintenance the road
will be less expensive than when re.
paired periodically and will stay in
condition nearly all the time.
| have given the possibilities of
good road to my way OF thinking. AS
to our rural roads having construct
ed roads under the supervision OF a
engineer for Ave years, find it costs
money to build good permanent
road and little money does not go
far But do think with the money
available outside OF our state high
way fund, that we can get more for
our money if properly handled. Out
side of this we must have more money
to get more permanent roads in
shorter time or we shall have to wait
Until 1t comes. But don't make the
AK payers stand 1t all Let the au-
omobile enjoyers cough mp some. pay
or some of the fiddling
John fIarwOod.
bennington, VT, Feb. 90, II.