MISCELLANEOUS. 



455 





SEWAGE DISPOSAL PLANT FOR FARM HOME 



EXERCISE. Write a description of the methods of sewage disposal 

 in use in the community. Give your views on how these systems of 

 sewage disposal can be improved. How many farmers use the sew- 

 age as fertilizer? How far is the well at your home from the out- 

 buildings? Does the land slope from the outbuildings towards the 

 well? Is there any chance of contaminating the well water by seep- 

 age from the outbuildings? 



SECTION LXXVII. EARTH ROADS. 



By PROF. J. B. DAVIDSON, 

 Department of Agricultural Engineering, Iowa State College. 



INTRODUCTION. 



It is doubtful if there is another factor which has 

 as great an influence upon the betterment of rural 

 life as good roads. Good roads have two important 

 functions; first, to facilitate travel and make it a 

 pleasure, and second, to reduce the cost of the trans- 

 portation of farm and manufactured products over 

 them. The cost of the transportation of one ton one 

 mile over a railroad, which represents the highest 

 type of a road, is from one-tenth to one-twenty-fifth 

 of what it costs over an average country road. The 

 total cost of transporting twelve of the principal farm 

 products to market in 1905 has been estimated at 

 $73,000,000, about 5.2 per cent, of the value of these 

 crops.* Better roads which would reduce the cost of 



* Bui. 49 Bureau of Statistics Cost of Hauling Crops from 

 Farms to Shipping Points. 



