242 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



during drouths by the "porous" arrangement of stone in 

 so-called " macadam" roads. Artificial waterings and the 

 water of rains are wasted in the loose material that is never 

 dampened by capillary moisture so as to hold its own dust 

 from blowing. Dry stone is softer, crushes easier and 

 more thoroughly under the wheels of travel ; while solid 

 broken stone, firmly seated upon the cool moisture of the 

 earth, would be liable to none of the mischances we are 

 mentioning. Such broad " macadam " streets as we some- 

 times manufacture are but narrow Saharas, liable to fierce 

 dust storms. It would be better to break the centres of 

 some of them with lines of shade trees, .shrubbery, flowers 

 and grass. 



Old stone roads mismanaged in making are not even good 

 foundations for new ones, albeit M'Adam had to use them. 

 They are worth no more than dirty rock, free of cartage, and 

 might well be lifted, rain-washed, broken over again, and 

 relaid as M'Adam did in similar cases, with betterments as 

 aforesaid, that he would approve to-day. 



When we have learned to build solid and smooth stone 

 roads, wearing only from surface friction, fewer horse or 

 other railways will be in demand. These live by popular 

 ignorance of stone and Gravel road making. We can sec, 

 better than we can describe, how a succession of stupid road- 

 menders furnish tramways their opportunity. They and 

 their gangs like porous stone-work to lay their frequent 

 spruce sleepers in. Porous street substances furnish easy 

 and continual diggings. The rattle and roar of business goes 

 on, and the people pay more taxes in new forms. 



Sweet, springy and elastic earthen roads, as made by old- 

 style New England artists and farmers, furnish the pleasant- 

 est tracks man ever drove a horse on. Narrow, rounding 

 and dry, with scarcely perceptible water-bars, in a delecta- 

 ble hill country, the roads I have in mind — not too much 

 travelled — are delightful to walk over, alone or in good 

 company. There are thousands of places in the country, 

 where, after constructing the best possible roads of gravel or 

 broken stone, it might be well to dress the narrow highway 

 every spring with plastic, fibrous loam, just for the use of 

 driving on it in summer time. It is political economy. 



