GOOD ROADS. 65 



for a main thoroughfare, when, under certain conditions, I think 

 we can. 



r^Iacadam roads are being constructed in nearly every state of 

 the Union, indicators of the progress of the community in which 

 thev are made. A'ermont, ^Massachusetts, and many of the states 

 in fact, are building expensive Macadam roads even in rural sec- 

 tions, and the more these roads come into use the more the peo- 

 ple ask for continued appropriations for permanent road build- 

 ing. 



In Xew Jersey more than 1500 miles of Macadam road have 

 already been built, and the people are pleased with it. To be 

 s^ire their conditions are somewhat different from ours. Their 

 farming is principally market gardening, and the farmers cart 

 their produce to the city every morning. Such roads are feasible 

 for cities and suburbs, and should be for a main thoroughfare, 

 but not for country roads. To the latter I should say emphati- 

 cally no, but I would urge for the welfare of our rural towns that 

 we give more thought to the construction of better roads, and if 

 possible appropriate money enough to build up the oft travelled 

 roads throughout our State. 



Xext to the ^Macadam road is the gravel road so common in 

 the State, and while it seems impossible to avail ourselves of the 

 former, a more through study of the latter should be encouraged. 

 The old adage "What is worth doing at all is worth doing well," 

 should not be lost sight of. Because of the meagre appropria- 

 tions for road purposes, a careful survey of highways should be 

 made, and such places as need repair should first be made good. 

 Low, wet places should be drained, a good stone bottom placed 

 and well covered with fine rock and gravel. 



The road machine is a valuable acquisition in building long 

 stretches of road, and if properly managed builds the best gravel 

 road possible, with a little help from the hoe and shovel to smooth 

 up. Usually too long a stretch is undertaken, which for lack of 

 money and time we are obliged to narrow until it becomes dan- 

 gerous because of its oval condition and deep gutters. A road 

 should be of sufficient width to allow teams to meet and pass 

 without interference. All stones and missiles should be carted 

 off and not thrown into the gutter and onto the road bank to 

 tumble again into the way and become an obstruction worse than 



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