COUNTRY ROADS. 229 



the village, were for many years renowned for their spring mud. 

 But there came a change, gradually wrought, for the work of re- 

 demption was more than the district could do in a year. A central 

 underdrain, made of ordinary stone, was laid along the village 

 streets and down the hill. The result is that now, with the melt- ' 

 ing of the snow, the centre of the travelled way is dry and ready 

 for immediate use. Doubtless the morals of the people, having 

 occasion to travel up this hill, have also been improved. I have 

 heard of a somewhat similar conquest, of a long, bad hill in 

 Winthrop, while I have met with sundry minor examples in differ- 

 ent parts of the State. Indeed, so manifest are the virtues of 

 road-drainage that it is truly remarkable so little labor has been 

 expended in this direction. It is clear that neither our farmers 

 nor our road-makers half appreciate the wonderful results which 

 can be secured by thorough drainage of fields and highways — by 

 keeping them, so far as water is concerned, in fit condition for 

 perpetual service. 



Three Kinds of Permanent Road. 



Route, grade and drainage disposed of, next in order comes the 

 covering of the road, which should be smooth, hard and water- 

 proof. When these three things cannot be secured in perfection, 

 then the nearest approach that circumstances will reasonably ad- 

 mit, should be always attempted. Now the covering has usually 

 been made, in the construction of first-class, permanent roads, 

 according to one of three somewhat diflerent methods, each of 

 which has been thoroughly tested by use. 



Since every year should behold a measure of first-class, perma- 

 nent road work done in different sections of our State — how done 

 will be indicated hereafter — it is well, on this occasion, at least to 

 glance at these methods for the purpose of learning their general 

 features, learning what it is, in addition to a suitable route, grade 

 and drainage, that constitutes a good road. Details may be 

 readilj^ found in the various books which have been written by the 

 great scientific road builders ; books with which all persons hav- 

 ing charge of our roads should make themselves thorougly famil- 

 iar. It would, indeed, be well for each town to own such books, 

 the roadmasters going to them at any time for instruction. 



The three kinds of road covering are known as the Concrete, 

 Macadam and Telford. The first resembles, in one particular, that 

 of the marvelous roads which were constructed by the Romans, 



