THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



381 



the newly-made road must be repeatedly rolled 

 with the heaviest implement of the kind, which 

 presses the stones into position, and commences 

 the formation of a consolidated mass : the opera- 

 tion of rolling must Ije unsparingly applied. For 

 some time after the road is used, ruts will be cut 

 by the wheels of vehicles, and these are to be care- 

 fully filled, by pulling into the cavities the sides of 

 the ruts as often as formed, and the wheels must 

 be prevented from following one track, by placing 

 large stones on the path which is to be prevented, 

 and removing the stoppages from one side of the 

 road to the other, as may Ije required. The width 

 of twelve feet will afford room for this change of 

 track on the roads of the farm, as the traffic is 

 limited, and the meetings of vehicles not very 

 frequent, which require a larger width. Narrow 

 roads are exposed to the very great objection of the 

 vehicles following in one track, and inflicting much 

 damage. By filling the ruts and changing the 

 tracks, a uniform and evenly-worn road will be 

 obtained, with attention, on a farm road of twelve 

 feet in width. 



The roads of the farm are part of the furniture 

 that is provided for the use of the land in cultiva- 

 tion, which is let for a yearly value of the articles 

 that are understood in the agreement. The pro- 

 vision of the roads rests with the proprietor of the 

 land, who inherits the permanent ownership, and 

 also derives a revenue from its use. Tlie mainte- 

 nance of the roads is a burden on the temporary 

 occupier, who derives an advantage from the use 

 of the communications, and must consequently 

 incur an expense to uphold the condition. The 

 roads must be put into the full condition of tenant- 

 able use, along with the houses and fences ; and the 

 tenant is covenanted to uphold them in a sufficient 

 state, always excepting uncommon accidents and 

 total decays. The stones gathered from the grass 

 fields of tlie farm will afford a greater or less 

 supply of materials} rocks may be quarried on the 

 farm, and gravels may be found ; and if not on the 

 farm, or on the estate of land of which it forms a 

 part, an access may be procured (or purchased) to 

 the materials on some adjacent property. The 

 gatherings of the farm must be laid in convenient 

 places, and prepared by breaking; rocks must be 

 quarried, and gravels prepared at the most vacant 

 times, and laid upon the failing roads during wet 

 weather, the surface havmg been previously loosened 

 by the pickaxe, in order to effect an easy junction 

 between the old and new materials, the quantity 

 applied being always sufficient to raise the low 

 places of the road in the jiroper height, as marked 

 by the fixed position. This repair of roads must 

 be constantly performed, and when the faults 

 appear, and before anyj serious damage occurs, 



both to uphold the road as an article of furniture, 

 and to obviate the damage to the animals and 

 vehicles which constitute the farmers' use of the 

 road : for this purpose, the materials must always 

 be prepared in readiness, and every proper oppor- 

 tunity embraced for the application. The roads of 

 the farm must have a special notice in the lease of 

 the land that is let, and the maintenance subjected 

 to the same conditions as the houses and fences of 

 the farm. At the time of agreement, there will be 

 understood the finding of the materials on the 

 farm, in pits or quarries ; or if there be not any, 

 the access will be mentioned on any other farm or 

 estate adjoining. If not put into writing, these 

 attachments will be verbally understood, always 

 with the tacit provision of the gathered stones from 

 the land ; but the due upliolding of the roads 

 should, and must, be imperatively written. 



The special case of clay lands being provided 

 with roads merely demands the repetition that all 

 soft undergrounds, as clays that are deep or shal- 

 low, wet earths that are soft by nature, and on all 

 bogs and peats, the bottom of the road, if not 

 possibly made on turf or a grassy surface, be laid 

 firmly and compactly with turf carried for the pur- 

 pose ; and where turf is not obtained, that a deep 

 layer be made with gravels, coarse earths, stones 

 broken into a small size, decomposing rocks, and 

 similar gritty matters ; that the foundation of the 

 road be made dry, and that the broken stones of 

 the upper bed never can sink or penetrate to the 

 earthy bed of the original deposits. A thick stra- 

 tum must intervene, on which the road properly 

 so called rests as a foundation, which must be dry 

 in every part of it, in the original bed, and in the 

 materials that are applied ; these requisites are 

 essential to any good roads being made and 

 maintained. 



Most failures in road-making have arisen from 

 not having a foundation of depth and dryness 

 sufficient to prevent the road being sunk into the 

 under-stratum of original deposit, and to uphold 

 the upper pressure from sinking the broken 

 materials into the foundation, and getting mixed 

 together. In this way, both the foundation and 

 the road are lost from being too scanty ; the one 

 sinks into the other, and no part is sustained to 

 form the desired object. The foundation must be 

 calculated to sink so far as to find a resting-place, 

 on grounds that are not very bearing of pressure, 

 and which remain soft after being drained ; the 

 thickness must be sufficient to prevent any exten- 

 sive m'vtnre with the under-dej)osit. With the 

 upper bed of broken stones, no sinking must take 

 place ; the strength and dryness of the foundation 

 must prevent any mixture, except the sinking that 

 will happen from the pressure of the rolling weight. 

 This will not be large, when the directions are 

 observed of a dry bottom and thick foundation, 

 and the proper broken materials, all duly provided 

 and economically apjffied. 



