110 STATE BOAED OF AGRICULTUKE. 



affects the surface, and would have to be considered in all cases involvino; a dis- 

 cussion of the methods of construction or of repairing ; but since it is entirely 

 concealed, we judge roads entirely by the surface they present. The surface 

 should be sufficiently hard as not to be cut into ruts by passing vehicles. It 

 should be even, and so flat that vehicles, in all positions on its surface, will stand 

 upright, and it should have no grades so steep as to require extra motive power 

 in ascending, or the use of the brake in descending. 



Of course such roads will be expensive. You can not expect any great 

 improvements without some cost, but I think you will find good roads very 

 cheap, — that is if you value your time as worth anything ; though it is a lament- 

 able fact that " time and money" are disconnected ideas with the farmer very 

 frequently. The cost of making good roads is not largely in excess of what we 

 pay each year, in time, for the privilege of dragging our wagons through the 

 mud, or of biting our tongues and otherwise mutilating our bodies in riding over 

 bare corduroy roads, or of climbing up a hill for the express purpose of clamber- 

 ing down again. 



The cost of a good road will depend on the character of the country through 

 which it is to pass, as hills, marshes, and rivers add much to its cost. It will 

 also depend on the kind and amount of traffic ; for if the traffic is heavy the 

 road covering will need to be thick, and vice versa. It will also depend on the 

 cost of the road covering. All of these considerations will have to be decided 

 independently for each road. The cost per mile will vary from $100 to $1,000 

 for the ordinary roads of Michigan. 



Cost of Poo?' Koads. 



The determination of the actual cost of our poor roads would be a problem 

 of no great complexity were we in possession of statistics of amount of travel, 

 rate of traveling, amount of road tax, etc. ; but no such statistics are taken, 

 neither can they be taken, with our present road system. We have assumed a 

 case which will not differ materially from our ordinary roads. Suj^pose, as is 

 frequently the case, that 30 teams pass each day over a portion of road 20 miles 

 in length which is in such a good condition as to reduce the load to only two- 

 thirds of what could have been taken over in the same time on the same length 

 of good road ; there is a waste each day by each man and team of one-third of 

 a day's work, and for the 20 teams and men for a whole year of 300 days, 

 this amounts to 2,000 days work of man, team, and wagon, or a year's work 

 for nearly seven men, teams, and wagons. This work, if paid for at the usual 

 price of $3 per day, would amount to 16,000. In addition to this, we shall 

 have an additional bill for extra wear of horses and w'agons, probably increasing 

 the expense one-third, making the total cost $8,000, or a cost of $400 per mile. 

 If the road decreases the load one-half, and you know there are miles of roads 

 where you must either double your time or halve your load, the cost per mile 

 will be one-sixth greater, or 146 G 66. 



Cost of 3Iaintaining Good Roads. 



The town of "VValtham, Mass., has good roads, and they are maintained 

 under the contract system. Previous to 1865 her roads cost an average annual 

 expenditure of $66 per mile. In 1868 an extra fall of snow raised the cost to 

 $117 per mile, but in no case does it come anywhere near what we pay for our 

 poor roads. Time does not permit any extended discussion of the economy of 

 good roads, but it is nevertheless a subject worthy your careful consideration. 



