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Show SUPERIOR RURAL ROAD WORK Suggestions to Communities for the Construction nnd Maintenance of Country Highways. Thnt full value may bo received foi tho money npiioprlated for road purposes pur-poses and thnt tho host results oh-tnlnublo oh-tnlnublo mny bo secured It Is essonttn! that tho right innn shnll bo placed In chnrgo of road work, llo should be selected not only becnuso ho actually knows moro about good roadB than any other porson In tho community, but nlso becnuso ho can get tho best results from tho money furnished. It is not sufficient, however, to lot the matter rest with tho nppolntmont oi road overseer. Ho should rccclv tho wholoheartcd Bupport of tho community com-munity in tho work. It should ho seen to that undor tho conditions and with tho money furnished tho community 13 getting what it has a right to expect ex-pect in tho wny of road Improvement It is well to remember that If for nny reason nn incompctont man is placed In chnrgo of tho work tho responsibility responsi-bility for fniluro rests upon tho community. com-munity. Thcro should bo no other consideration, thoroforo, in selecting a road overseer than that of securing n man with tho ability to perform the duties required. It should bo realized that good roads have much to do with tho prosperity of a community and that united nctlon In tho right direction direc-tion is tho surest nnd quickest way to sccuro them. Whero tho road overseer has had but llttlo experience in road work, or where some now and difficult problem Is presented to tho experienced man, tho of II co of public roads and rural engineering of tho V. S. department of ngrlculturo whon requested, will of for ndvlco and suggestions for carrying carry-ing on tho work nnd how best to ovor como tho dlillcultles. To sccuro a satisfying road of nn typo, it is absolutely necessary to ro-mombor: ro-mombor: First, dralnngo; second, drainage; and third, drainage. The enrth road, properly enrod for, will answer satisfactorily for tho traffic ol many rural sections that cannot afford af-ford tho bettor typos of roads; but tho earth road must bo well drained. After this fact 1b woll understood, two othor requirements may bo taken up tho location of tho rond nnd the reduction of grades to a general aver-ago aver-ago of 5 por cont. With tho exception of sandy roads, which aro easiest for traveling when damp, all roads must havo proper side ditches to carry away tho Burfaco water. wa-ter. In order to lead this surface water wa-ter to tho ditch, tho road eurfaco must havo a crown, or rounded roof, highest high-est in tho center and sloping toward tho Bldo ditches. A vory easy and satisfactory sat-isfactory way to keep earth, clay, and gravol roads crowned, by tho uso ol i f An Improved Road In Pennsylvania. tho split-log drag, is explained in Farmora' Dullotln C97, copies of which amy bo obtained upon application to ho department. After tho load has boon crowned md tho crown Is kept in condition by .ho wlso uso of tho road drag, it jhould bo seen to that ditches aro kept 'roo from weeds, etc., and that thoy iro deop enough to carry off tho wa--or which runs into thorn. In most :ases a wide, shallow ditch is best. )cop ditches are dangerous to tralllc. t spaces of every fow hundred foot ilong tho roadway a culvert of some tlnd should bo placed to carry away ho water which has gathered in tho iitches. A road properly built gonerally will lot havo an average grado of moro ban 6 per cont. Dy "por cent of rrado" Is meant tho numhor of feet ho rond rises or "climbs" for overy 100 feet of Its length. |