77G ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Stump Neck, Md. — The work at Stump Neck, Md., begun on June 15, 1910, and 

 coinplctod on June 25, 1910, consistcMl of gnuliii},' and (surfacing with a eand-clay 

 mixture a section of road 580 foct long and 14 feet wide, and a section 400 feet long ancl 

 8 feet wide. The cost of grading was $40.80. Two hundred and ten cubic yards of 

 surfacing material were loaded, haided an average distance of 1,500 feet, and spread 

 upon tlie road at a cost of $77. G5. The total cost of the road to the community was 

 $150, which is at the rate of $985.60 per mile for a 14-foot roadway. 



Brandon, Mlss.— Work at Brandon, Miss., was begun on September 6, 1909, and 

 wa.s completed on November 11, 1909. It consisted of grading and surfacing, with 

 a sand-clay mi.xturo, a section of road 5,344 feet in length and 18 feet wide, and con- 

 structing a number of cross drains. The adjacent country is hilly and the soil, which 

 is quite variable, has the following nature along the road: Station to station 10, stiff 

 clay; station 10 to station 13-J-50, sand-clay mixture; station 13+50 to station 17, deep 

 sand with a clay sub.'^oil; station 17 to station 24, sand and clay with sand predominant; 

 station 24 to station 28, deep sand; station 28 to station 31, sand-clay mixture; station 

 31 to station 35+50, sandy clay; station 35+50 to station 40, clay; station 40 to 

 station 46, sand and clay;" station 46 to station 50, sandy soil; station 50 to station 

 53+44, clay. To secure proper grades and drainage, 6,097.4 cubic yards of earth were 

 moved an average distance of 350 feet at a cost of $1 ,743.85, or 28.6 cents per cubic yard. 

 A long drought hacl caused some portions of the road to become so hard that they could 

 not be plowed and it was necessary to loosen the earth by blasting and with picks, 

 which increased the cost of excavation quite materially. By properly distributing the 

 earth that was excavated a great portion of the road was practically surfaced with a 

 sand-clay mixture when the excavation was completed. Nine hundred cubic yards 

 of surfacing material were hauled an average distance of 3,300 feet at a cost of $2il.80. 

 Cross drains with concrete end walls were constructed as follows: One concrete box 

 culvert, 27 feet long, with a waterway 24 inches by 21 inches; one concrete box culvert, 



vitrified clay tile drain, 27.5 feet long, 12 inches in diameter; one vitrified clay tile 

 drain, 57^ feet long, 18 inches in diameter. With labor at from $1 to $1.25 per day and 

 teams at $3 per day, the total cost of the road to the community was $2,980.40, which 

 is at the rate of $2,815.54 per mile. 



Charleston, Mo. — Funds for the improvement of a very sandy road leading north 

 from Charleston, Mo., were raised by subscription by the business men of Charleston, 

 excepting $250, which was paid from the county funds. Work was begun on August 6, 

 1909, and this road was entirely completed on August 26, 1909. The road was graded 30 

 feet in width between ditches for a length of 5,050 feet, and a strip 15 feet in width in 

 the center was surfaced with a sand-clay mixture. For the surfacing, 1,300 cubic yards 

 of clay were hauled an average distance of 5,000 feet in slat-bottom farm wagons of 

 1 cubic yard capacity, at a cost of $569.10. The cost of loading the clay was 23.8 cents 

 and of spreading upon the road 4.25 cents per cubic yard. Nine hiindred and thirty- 

 one cubic yards of earth were excavated and hauled an average distance of 400 feet 

 at a cost of 19.4 cents per cubic vard. The total cost of the road to the community was 

 $1,302.77, which is at the rate of $1,360.48 per mile. Labor cost $1.50 and teams $3 

 per day. 



Magnolia, Mis.s. — Work was begun at Magnolia, Miss., on May 18, 1910, and was 

 completed on June 10, 1910. It consisted of building a sand-clay road 1,200 feet in 

 length and 15 feet in width, putting in an 18-inch vitrified tile drain 30 feet in length 

 and building a wooden culvert 23 feet in length with an opening of 3 by 5 feet. The 

 road was built through a rolling country on a heavy clay soil. Four hundred and 

 seventy-four cubic yards of earth were moved an average distance of 200 feet at a cost 

 of 25.4'cents per cubic yard. Sand to the amount of 222.2 cubic yards was loaded in 

 wagons with shovels at a cost of 17.9 cents, hauled an average distance of 1 mile at a 

 cost of 20.7 cents per cubic yard, and spread upon the road with shovels at a cost of 

 14.07 cents per cubic yard. This work was done with convict labor, and the total cost 

 to the commimitv, with guards at $1, convicts at 80 cents, mules at 50 cents, and hired 

 teams at $4 per day was $338.40, which is at the rate of $1,488.96 per mile, or 10.1 cents 

 per square yard 



Benton, Mo.^Two sand-clay roads were constructed at Benton, 'Mo., one on a sandy 

 soil and the other on a gumbo soil, to illustrate the methods of construction on a sand 

 base and on a clay base. Work was begun on September 13, 1909, and completed on 

 October 6, 1909. The first road, 850 feet in length, was constructed on a sandy soil. 

 To secure proper grades and drainage, 250 cubic yards of earth were moved with drag 



