114 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1900. 



nearer to the market than the fanner who lives upon a poor road 

 only five or ten miles away. And besides his horses, his wagons 

 and his harnesses will last longer and be kept in order at less 

 expense than those of the owner who travels upon a poor road. 

 His wife will be happier and live longer, his children will be 

 more likely to stick to the farm, he himself will lie a more civil- 

 ized man, and they all will be more constant attendants at 

 church, school and public meetings than the abutters upon a 

 poor road. 



In the next place, the good road increases the value of his 

 land. When an intelligent purchaser looks for a farm, he looks 

 for it by the side of or in close proximity to a good road, and 

 he will pay more for one thus situated than for one on a poor 

 road. 



Increased sociability is another advantage of good roads. 

 Social isolation is the rule among people who have to travel 

 poor roads to see each other. People beyond the limits of side- 

 walks in our cities and villages would be more neighborly if 

 they could conveniently reach each other's houses, especially in 

 the evening. After the day's work is done the voices of the 

 night seem to awaken in the human breast a desire for commun- 

 ion with the living and the dead. Then we like to cross our 

 neighbors' threshold, and exchange greetings and talk over 

 matters of mutual interest and concern. Then, if ever, the 

 country people have the time and inclination to gather in family 

 and neighborhood groups for the exchange of opinion and 

 recreative entertainment. This goodly phase of human life 

 ought to be cultivated and developed in the country ; and inas- 

 much as good roads would help to cultivate and develop it, they 

 ought to be an object of care and improvement on the part of 

 the public officials in every community. 



If there were footpaths in our country roads, the social inter- 

 course of the people would be encouraged still more. Should 

 there be footwalks in our country roads? is a question which 

 our road-makers have answered negatively by their actions, for 

 there are very few roads in this country with footpaths in 

 them. The Romans were the best road-makers in ancient times, 



