20 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



EARTH ROADS. 



Eldridge — United States Department of Agriculture 



Bulletin. 



introduction. 



Drainage is the key to success in making earth roads, and constant 

 watchfulness is the sure means of keeping them up after they are once 

 well made. Water is destructive to any road, especially to a dirt road; 

 therefore, drainage that will at once carry away rainfall or melting snow 

 is absolutely necessary. Again, little breaks in the road may be made 

 by rain or by a heavy load at any time, and if not repaired immediately 

 will grow into mud holes, especially in the winter, and these mud holes 

 easily and rapidly develop into an almost impassable mire. But frequent 

 inspection and a little work will keep the road in good condition and 

 with less cost than under ordinary methods. With good drainage estab- 

 lished in building the road and frequent inspection to keep the drainage 

 efficient and to mend promptly small injuries to the surface, the earth 

 roads of the United States could be maintained in a much higher state 

 of usefulness than at present, and at considerably lower cost. 



The aim in making a road is to establish the easiest, shortest and 

 mfcst economical line of travel. It is therefore desirable that roads should 

 be firm, smooth, comparatively level, and fit for use at all seasons of the 

 year; that they should be properly located so that their grades shall be 

 such that loaded vehicles may be drawn over them without great loss of 

 energy; that they should be properly constructed, the roadbed graded, 

 shaped and rolled; and that they should be surfaced with the best avail- 

 able material suited to their needs. 



It is to be hoped that all the heavy traffic roads in the United States 

 can be macadamized, graveled, or otherwise improved in the not distant 

 future; but owing to the absence in many places of rock, gravel, or other 

 hard and durable substances with which to build good roads, and by 

 reason of the excessive cost of such roads where suitable material is 

 scarce, the majority of our public highways will of necessity be com- 

 posed of earth for many years to come. It is fortunate, therefore, that 

 under favorable conditions of traffic, moisture, and maintenance the earth 

 road is the most elastic and most satisfactory for pleasure and for light 

 traffic. The condition of the common roads in this country, especially in 

 the Middle West, is so deplorable at certain seasons of the year as to 

 operate as a complete embargo on marketing farm products. It therefore 

 behooves every interested citizen to> know something about the location, 

 drainage, construction and maintenance of the earth road, and it will 



