1900.] ESSAYS. 113 



the town to make its roads any better than they were before. 

 It would seem in some eases to operate against the building of 

 good roads by the town, inasmuch as the people seem disposed 

 to believe that if they wait long enough the State will come and 

 turn their town roads into State highways. 



On the other hand if the law required every town to construct 

 each year a certain amount of good road based upon its property 

 and population as compared with the population and wealth of 

 other towns and cities of the State and then allowed tin; town to 

 draw from the State treasury one-half the expense as soon as the 

 road had been approved and accepted by some tribunal appointed 

 for the purpose, would not good roads be extended more rapidly 

 in all directions than under the present system? The solution 

 of the problem is to be found in learning how to improve our 

 ordinary highways without the expenditure of more money than 

 we are able to pay. A very ordinary cook is able to get up a 

 passable dinner with an abundance of everything to do with, but 

 a good cook is able to get up a better one with very much less 

 to do with. Then we need most of all good road makers, so 

 skilful and efficient that they could bring about good results in 

 road making on small appropriations. This may seem like ask- 

 ing them to make bricks without straw, but I firmly believe that 

 our country roads could be greatly improved without a lavish 

 expenditure of money under competent management. However, 

 the good roads are the desideratum of the present situation, and 

 the system that will most speedily accomplish the thing with 

 equal burdens and benefits for all, is the system t'> be com- 

 mended, for we want the roads and we want them quick. 



But what is the relation of good roads to agriculture and hor- 

 ticulture? Good roads are of more value and importance to 

 farmers than to anybody else. A good road abridges distance 

 and facilitates the transportation of crops and thereby brings the 

 markets nearer to those who live beside it or in its vicinity. A 

 good road always has a good grade and consequently a heavy 

 load can be drawn over it more easily and a light load with more 

 rapidity than over a poor road. Therefore the farmer who lives 

 beside a good road ten or twenty miles from market is in reality 



