The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-17
Brief Nature Studies
By J. OTIS SWIFT

Mir. and Mrs. Robin, having successfully reared their first family of the season in a nest in wild cherry tree in the garden of William P. Beazell at Forest Hills, l.. l., looking worried as the day for teaching the young ones to fly approached. The day be- fore they flew the task of satiating them with worms became almost unbearable Two youngsters, looking bigger and rougher than their parents, stood sturdily up in the nest and ordered dinner every few moments.
 The day arrived. Mrs. Beazell was startled early by tumult. Robins, song sparrows, wrens, English sparrows, warblers, starlings were all talking, scolding, screaming. Even the wood-thrush from the nearby park came over to advise and threaten with it's startled "Whit-whit-whit." Mrs. Beazell went out to find predacious cat calmly awaiting the flying. She drove it away, and peace reigned.
 That afternoon the babies launched them selves. Anxious parents coaxed, advised and Scolded as they tried their wings After lum- bering awkwardly from ground to shrub and tree they faded into birdland. Then for a few days were heard the mournful notes of the parents left to themselves
 adequacy of a six and one-half inch Port land cement concrete pavement? This pave ment has admittedly been passing through one experimental stage after another since 1909 over total of only fourteen years, and today engineers do not agree as to it's de- sign, it's mix, its reinforcement, or it's thick ness. For example, Maryland and West Vir- ginia highway departments construct a pave ment thicker at center than sides Massa- chusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and In- diana lay the pavement of uniform thickness 1; Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Alabama and Tennessee follow the Bates design of thick ened sides; you will find every conceivable mix as to the proportion of cement used from one part of cement to four and one-half parts sand and stone; wou will find that some states say reinforcement with metal is nec- essary while others say it is not; South Car olina uses twenty-five pounds of metal bars per 100 square feet of pavement while New Hampshire uses 100 pounds for the same area; Oregon makes the slabs twenty five feet between transverse joints, while Mich igan makes them 100 feet; North Carolina,
 Maryland and Iowa do not construct a joint down the center, while such joint deemed essential in New York, Wisconsin and Mis- souri. In view of these bewildering contra dictions who can say what is a standard Portland cement concrete road, and if there IS no such thing, how is Alabama to make sure of getting the best design, the best mix, the most adequate proportions, for certainly these contradictions cannot all be right?
 When you express concern over the ade- quacy of a ten-inch macadam and asphalt pavement, ought you not to attach some weight to the findings of the United States Bureau of Public Roads to the effect that six-inch Portland cement concrete road is the thinnest that can be laid with any hope of success and then ponder over the fact that the Chiffon road averages only six and one-half inches or one-half inch above the irreducible minimum. Isn't it reasonable to question the adequacy of this pavement in comparison with the ten-inch Shelby road?
 It is not generally known that during 1928 asphalt paving showed a gain in yardage of 20 per cent, over 1922, while Portland cement concrete showed falling off of per cent. If asphalt is less dependable, why does not Portland cement concrete crowd it into sec ond space? Not only is asphalt gaining, but it is a matter of record that state and state aid highways in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee constructed or awarded since January 1, 1923, show a greater mileage of asphalt than concrete. I am asking you to give your readers the benefit of the data upon which you base your conclusions. Sure ly you did not reach conclusions in the ab- sence of data and surely your readers are en- titled to know how you reached your de- cisions c. D. GENTRY.
 BirminRham Ala.