FOREST-ROADS. 309 



10 to 15 feet. The breadth of sledge-roads is still less, for the 

 main sledge-roads 8 to 10 feet, and for the feeders 3 to 4J feet. 

 Road-slides may be 6 to 8 feet wide. All roads, however, which 

 are wide enough only for one cart or sledge, must have 

 sufficiently wide places here and there for the return traffic to 

 pass ; wherever logs are transported, the breadth of the road 

 must be increased at all turnings, or where curves run round 

 projecting rocks. Otherwise logs must be fastened along the 

 edge of the road on which the projecting ends of logs dragged on 

 small sledges may slide. 



In the case of narrow sledge-roads with steep gradients 

 passing with curves over precipitous ground, accidents are 

 avoided by placing logs along the edge of the road, that 

 touch one another at their ends and are kept in place by piles 

 or props. 



(i) Maintenance of Roads. Wherever there is heavy traffic, 

 roads suffer much damage, by the use of brakes, etc. ; in 

 mountains the rain- water brings down silt and landslips, and 

 may inundate the roads at certain points, so that their surface 

 is constantly being degraded. Continual prompt maintenance 

 and repairs, improvements of the drainage of the road and 

 lilling-up all holes and ruts are there-fore necessary. Repairs to 

 roads, therefore, require almost as much attention as their 

 construction. The chief rule is not to allow any damage to 

 get the upper hand, but to commence repairing it as soon 

 as the weather is dry. It is often advantageous to entrust 

 the repairs of the roads on contract to trustworthy woodcutters 

 [or to apprentice forest-guards, as in France (f/ardes canton- 

 nicrs), who work themselves and also supervise the other 

 labourers. Tr.] . 



In many forests it is customary to place a bar across roads 

 after the season's transport is over, in order to protect them 

 from extraneous traffic. The possibility of doing this depends 

 on the nature of the forest-rights and other local circum- 

 stances. As a rule, such a practice does more harm than 

 good .to the forest. Koads should be open to traffic, and the 

 more they are used and injured by the traffic, the more 

 useful they are, and the higher the net-revenue of the forest 

 will be. 



