280 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



engagiug in any practical road work. On May 29 of last year the 



Director of this Office received the subjoined letter of instructions, to 



the effect that we should push the practical side of our work. Under 



these instructions this Office has embraced every possible opportunity 



to assist in or take charge of the construction of object-lesson, sanijile, 



or experimental roads. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Office of the Secretary, 



Washington, D. C, May 29, 1899. 



Sir: In order that the provisions of the statutes relating to " Public-road inquir- 

 ies ' may be properly and efficiently executed, you are herebj' authorized and 

 directed to supervise, manage, and conduct investigations, inquiries, and experi- 

 ments relating to the following subjects, viz: 



( 1) To make inquiries in regard to the various systems of road management 

 throughout the United States. 



(2) To make investigations, by experiment and otherwise, regarding the best 

 methods of road making and the best kinds of road-making materials to be found 

 in the several States. 



(3) To prepare didactic reports and statements upon the subjects of road making 

 and road management suitable for publication and distribution as bulletins of 

 this Department. 



(4) To assist the agricultural colleges and agricultural experiment stations in 

 disseminating, by object-lesson methods or otherwise, information on the afore- 

 mentioned subjects. 



The necessary expenses attending the execution of these instructions w^ill be 

 provided for upon requisitions and specific letters of authorization. 



These instructions supersede all former general directions given yoii respecting 

 the scope and purpose of the work of the Office of Public Road Inquiries. 

 Respectfully, 



James Wilson, 



Secretary. 



PRACTICAL ROAD WORK. 



Because of the limited funds provided by Congress for carrying on 

 the work, this Office has been unable to do any experimental or object- 

 lesson work on its own account, but has had to cooperate with the 

 various parties interested — that is, the citizens and county authorities 

 concerned, the agricultural colleges and experiment stations, the 

 manufacturers of road machinery, implements, and supplies, and the 

 railway comi^anies. The citizens and county authorities or the col- 

 leges and stations have supplied the materials and labor, while the 

 road-machine companies have furnished the necessaiy machinery. 



Owing to the fact that the construction of sample roads with mod- 

 ern machinery so often leads to the sale of the machinery, it is quite 

 probalile that road-machine companies will find it profitable to place 

 needed machinery at our disposal, and that hereafter there will be no 

 trouble in securing all the machinery needed. The railroad com- 

 panies throughout tlie country are so much interested in the improve- 

 ment of the short liaul, or primaiy means of transportation, that in 

 every instance where sample roads were to be built in territory adja- 

 cent to their lines and at right angle to them, they have gladly coop- 

 erated to the extent of furnishing free transj)ortation for our agents 

 and machinery. 



More States and localities were visited hy representatives of this 

 Office and more sample royds were built under its direction last year 

 than in any previous year. In this work the endeavor has been to 

 assist those who most needed assistance, and for this reason little has 

 been done in the Northeastern States, while much has been accom- 

 plished in the Middle Western and Southern States. We have 



