878 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



nois, 5; Indiana, 2; Iowa, 1; Kentucky, 13; Louisiana, 10; Maine, 6; 

 Maryland, 13; Michigan, 38; Massachusetts, 4; Mississippi, 42; Mis- 

 souri, 46; Nebraska, 1 ; New Jersey, 3; New York, 3; North Carolina, 

 142; North Dakota, 22; Ohio, 25; Oklahoma, 63; Pennsylvania, 12; 

 South Carolina, 90; South Dakota, 3; Tennessee, 88; Texas, 164; 

 Utah, 3; Vermont, 20; Virginia, 99; West Virginia, 22; Wisconsin, 5; 

 and Wyoming, 4. 



That this method of presenting information produces good results 

 is shown by the fact that the applications have been entirely volun- 

 tary and that the office does not send lecturers to any community 

 except upon request, and not then until it is assured that the meet- 

 ing has been properly advertised and that the attendance will justify 

 the expense. During the year it was necessary to refuse 85 applica- 

 tions for lectures. 



SPECIAL INSPECTION AND ADVICE. 



Upon the request of officials and others having jurisdiction over 

 roads to be improved, engineers have been assigned to advise Avith 

 local officials on the various phases of road work. Under this ar- 

 rangement 24 States and the District of Columbia have derived the 

 benefit of consultation with engineers, experts, and chemists of the 

 office. Such assignments have been made as follows among the sev- 

 eral States: Arkansas, 1; Colorado, 1; Connecticut, 15; District of 

 Columbia, 1; Florida, 2; Georgia, 1; Idaho, 1; Indiana, 1; Louisiana, 

 1; Maine, 4; Massachusetts, 16; Maryland, 8; Mississippi, 5; New- 

 Jersey, 10 ; Nebraska, 1 ; New York, 9 ; New Hampshire, 1 ; North 

 Carolina, 2 ; Pennsylvania, 1 ; South Carolina, 15 ; Tennessee, 1 ; 

 Texas, 4; Virginia, 10; West Virginia, 1 ; and Wyoming, 1. 



An engineer from the Office of Public Roads was designated, at 

 the request of the governor of the State of New Hampshire, to make 

 a general road inspection in that State and to report upon the whole 

 situation.* 



ECONOMIC INVESTIGATIONS. 



Heretofore the economic and social benefits accruing to a com- 

 munity by the establishment of a system of improved roads have 

 been a matter of speculation. In order to secure reliable informa- 

 tion on this subject, the office inaugurated an investigation in 1910. 

 This study embraces a number of counties in various parts of the 

 United States where funds have been raised from bond issues or 

 otherwise for building an improved system of roads. The counties 

 now under observation are as follows: Spotsylvania, Dinwiddle, 

 Wise, and Lee Counties, Va.; Lauderdale County, Miss.; Dallas and 

 Russell Counties, Ala.; Manatee County, Fla.; Bennington County, 

 Vt. ; and Franklin County, N. Y. 



The preliminary study was made this year in Franklin County, 

 N. Y., and Bennington County, Vt., and it is quite probable 

 that other counties will be added next year. A preliminary 

 report, based on personal observation and study in each case, was 

 made before the work of road improvement started. The study is 



» For complete Information, see Bulletin 42, Office of Public Roads, U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture. 



