820 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGKICULTUKE. 



contract with themselves, or appoint one of their own members to do the 

 work of the road superintendent. Some telephone people have set their 

 poles five or six feet from the fence line into the road. Trustees should 

 not allow this. It is a violation of law for telephone companies to con- 

 struct their lines so that the poles or fixtures incommode the public in 

 the use of any road. When poles are set in the road they intrefere with 

 the cutting of weeds. Poles should be set on the fence line. 



TTie road superintendent is an important officer, and his pay should 

 depend on whether he does the work or not. 



Three good trustees in every township and twenty good road superin- 

 tendents in the county can do the people of this county more good next 

 season than the governor of Iowa or "Teddy" Roosevelt. 



Ninety-five per cent of all products carried by the railroads are first 

 hauled over tlie country roads. Why are the railroads so much interested 

 in spreading the gospel of good wagon roads? It is because they believe 

 their revenue Avill be increased when the railways are made more acces- 

 sible by means of good w?igon roads over whicli farmers can easily liaul 

 their products. 



If there is a problem in urgent need of solution it is the road problem. 

 Everybody knows tliat to macadamize would end the trouble, but the day 

 when so expensive a solution as that may be applied, generally, is distant, 

 and the advent of a cheaper and more practicable method in the mean- 

 time, will be hailed with delight. We expend too much time and horse 

 flesh getting over buggy roads. 



Iowa spends about $4,000,000 a year on the roads. A large part of this 

 is used in a hap-hazard way. 



To do effective road work the road must first be drained and graded. 

 The water must have a chance to run off, then if it is kept smooth with a 

 road drag that will level the bumps and fill up the holes and ruts, the 

 water will run off quickly after each rain. 



Drainage is the first step. Our attention, for the present, at least, 

 must be confined to grading up the roads and then keeping them in shape, 

 so the water will run off quickly. Make the surface so that it will shed 

 water into gutters. Make gutters so that they will discharge water in 

 the quickest possible time. Make he road bed so that water can not stand 

 on it and the most difficult problem will be solved. 



Macadamized or brick roads are so expensive that we can not give 

 that method much attention at this time. But we can make a convex 

 surface to facilitate drainage. And if we keep this convex surface smooth 

 we accomplish a good deal for comfort in travel. 



Our earth roads require constant care. They can not be built and 

 left for the season. If we make the best earth road that can be made 

 and then abandon it, it will soon fall into ruts. "A stich in time saves 

 nine," in making and preserving roads. 



Some road superintendents undertake too much. They never finish a 

 job. They commence to work a piece of road and leave it before it is 

 finished. It is generally better not to tear up a road if you can not finish 

 the job. You have found "worked" roads left as rough as lava beds. It 

 is hard to get to Heaven or anywhere else over that kind of roads. 



