204 ELEMENTARY AGRICULTURE 



roads would permit larger loads to be hauled in 

 the same time and lighter loads in much less time. 

 (Fig. 102.) 



The First Expert Road Builders. The Romans 

 were the first to solve the problem of how to build 

 good highways. The central government at Rome 

 built all the roads and kept them up. They were 

 made of stone by trained experts, and in so solid 

 a manner that, though the surface has required re- 

 pair from time to time, the stone foundations are 

 as good to-day as when they were built two thou- 

 sand years ago. They will be serviceable for cen- 

 turies yet to come. 



Roads Abroad and at Home. European countries 

 commonly have fine roads because they are con- 

 structed by skilled engineers under government 

 service. But most states in our country still have 

 their roads in charge of county officers who are not 

 skilled in road building and who serve only short 

 terms, giving place to others less experienced than 

 themselves. These county officers are perhaps good 

 business men, but are not students of scientific road 

 construction; consequently, although millions of dol- 

 lars have been spent on American country roads, 

 they are in the main a failure. (Fig. 103.) 



Plantation Mud Pikes. The earliest American 

 roads were built in Virginia and led from the plan- 

 tations to the landings on the rivers. These were 

 simply mud roads built by the plantation owners. 

 Hogsheads of tobacco were fitted with a pair of 



