SUBURBAN AND COUNTRY ROADS. 61 



surprised when reports like the following from the southern states 

 are received by the Department of Agi'i culture in answer to inquiries.* 



From Florida. " No road laws, no bridges ; streams are crossed 

 by ferries, fording, or swimming." 



From Texas. " Our roads are not worked, the wagoner making 

 his own way. Soil remarkably favorable for roads. No macad- 

 amizing material in the state, none needed. Road laws in this mag- 

 nificent state, like other laws, seldom executed. No turnpikes ; 

 don't need them. Eoads last until they become too mir}^, when 

 wagoners cut a new one. Texas can boast of the best roads, with 

 the least work, of any state in or out of the Union. Our citizens 

 generally regard work as unconstitutional." 



Finally, as we have already remarked, if we desire an improve- 

 ment in the condition of our suburban and country roads, we must 

 have a uniform s^'stem, by which to work, throughout the state, 

 and in order to eflect this, there must be a re\dsion of the laws 

 upon the subject. Let Massachusetts lead in such a needful re- 

 form, and other states, seeing the advantages, will quickly follow 

 her footsteps. 



Discussion. 



CM. Hovey expressed himself as much pleased with the essay > 

 and hoped it would lead to better results than we have at present. 

 The roads in England are unsurpassed ; they are all macadamized, 

 and are kept in order by sweeping off the dust and scraping up the 

 mud as soon as they collect. As Dr. Slade has said, the superin- 

 tendents of repairs here are seldom men possessing any special or 

 practical knowledge of the subject. Mr. Hovey alluded to the 

 roads in Cambridge, where the superintendent was formerly a 

 lumber manufacturer. 



Mr. Strong said that we think the roads of Massachusetts pretty 

 good, and gentlemen from the West and South think them very good ; 

 but he hoped we should do what we could to promote a feeling of 

 dissatisfaction with our roads, for he agreed with Mr. Hovey that 

 they are far inferior to those of foreign countries, and that the 

 superintendents are often utterlj'' unfit for the service. As he di'ove 

 into town to-day his horse was so frightened by a heap of ashes at 

 the roadside that he was almost prevented from being present at the 

 meeting. 



♦Report of the U. S. Commissioner of Agriculture, for 1868, p. 348. 



