The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-10-22

Everywhere l go I see great piles of
crushed stone laid up on the road
sides. 1 sa ylaid up, for the stones
or broken rocks are of even sizes. and
Ehey are stacked in pyramids or
windrows, each stone seeming to
have its particular place. Stray bits
OF stone are not allowed to cnmber
the roadway, which is kept smooth.
At intervals one sees also piles OF
Belgian blocks corded up. Each block
is four times the size Of an ordinary
brick. and is evenly cut. These blocks
are used for tho stone coping which
walls each side of the road and keeps
back the grass.
Most OF the new roads are of mac
adam on the old roadbed. but
there are also miles OF these Belgium
blocks laid together like our brick
roads In the states. In some places
asphalt is used to finish the roads,
but as a rule they are OF stone or
macadam. So far l have seen none
of concrete.
There are but few towns OF the
United States that have as good pave
ments as these country roads of the
republic of France. As result. one
or two horses or an OK or so can
haul In q two wheeled cart twice the
team in America. France Is issuing
bonds for making these roads, on tho
basis that II pays nation to have
debts and prosperous farmers. rather
than to have no debts and the farm
ers expend so much to get their
goods TO the markets that they are
keep poor. Indeed, as Tristram
shandy would say. They do these
things better In France"
A Land of Fine Trees
Another thing they do better Ia
lining the roadways with trees. In
our motor car rides we go for miles
between stately poplars, some of
which are as big around as a flour
barrel and as high as four-story
house. Tho branches of tho trees
meet together above us, shading tho
roadway, and we can look on and on
through these two walls of green to
the patch of blue sky in the distance.
Japan prides itself on it's wonderful
avenue, Is miles long. which lines the
road to the beautiful temples of Mix
ko. That road Is shaded by giant
sryptomerias. France has hundreds
of miles OF avenues quite as wonder
full, many of which recall to me the
rows of royal palms In Rio de
Janelro. and especially those of its
botanical gardens. The damage TO
these trees by the shells OF the Ger
mans makes ones heart swell as he
rides through the battlefieids now
again under crops. The trees will be
, in fairly good condition for quite a
distance. when dead stumps ranging
in height from that OF your head to
the top OF telegraph pole break the
symmetry of tho line and form scars
on the landscape. The tops OF the
stumps are like gigantic tooth
brushes. tho wood having been torn
apart and pulled off bySthe shells
SO that each fiber stands out.
Tho Forests Of France
But seei 1t has darkenedi We are
flying In our automobile over roads
where the trees shut out the sun.
There are woods at the right and the
left. and the only breaks are long
alleys or roads cut at regular in
| tervals. We are passing through one
Of the great forests Of France. How
beautiful II is! How we'll kept! And
how thrifty There are no leaves on
the ground. and the underground OF
young trees 10 rioh. Each one seems
to be nursed. There are no broken
limbs. and no legs numbering tho