•5 1 C LA ND-TR ANSP( )KT. 



constructed in a most perfect form in high mountain-regions, 

 being made of two kinds for sledges drawn by men or animals ; 

 they may be termed feeders and main sledge-roads. The 

 latter are confined to the lower ground, and traverse long 

 valleys and serve for the convej'ance of the wood to depots. The 

 feeders descend the mountain-slopes from the highest and most 

 inaccessible parts of the forest, they often wind round all kinds 

 of obstacles, rucks are blasted to make way for them, galleries 

 cut along precipices and tunnels bored. By their means the 

 wood is brought down to the main sledge-roads. Wherever 

 sledge-roads run through cuttings in districts with heavy snow- 

 fall, they must be covered with rafters and spruce branches for 

 protection. The gradient of the feeders should not be less than 

 6 to 8 per cent., or greater than 18 to 20 per cent., though even 

 the latter is sometimes exceeded, but 12 to 15 per cent, are the 

 usual gradients. The main sledge-roads are less steep, and 

 8 to 12 per cent, are usual gradients, but even a slight ascent 

 cannot always be avoided in their case Avhere a ridge has to be 

 crossed between two valleys. 



Ground timber-slides are extensively used in the eastern 

 Schwarzsvald, they may also be used as sledge-roads chiefly for 

 the transport of logs. Their gradient should generally lie 

 between 9 to 12 per cent, and may even go up to 18 per cent. 



A steady gradient is more necessary in the case of sledge- 

 roads than on roads for wheeled traffic ; in the latter case, it 

 is now-a-days considered better to vary the gradient, as this is 

 less tiring to beasts of draught than a uniform gradient which 

 always calls on the same muscles. 



(h) Breadth of Roads. — The breadth of forest-roads depends on 

 the mode of conveyance used, and the amount of traffic. ]\Iaiu 

 forest-roads should not be less than 18 to 24 feet broad, if the 

 traffic on them is not to be impeded, Gi to 8 feet being the 

 width between the wheels of a cart. 



The subsidiary roads need not have a greater breudth thiiu 

 10 to 15 feet. The breadth of sledge-roads is still less, for the 

 main sledge-roads 8 to 10 feet, and for the feeders 3 to 4^ feet. 

 The slides may be 6 to 8 feet wide. All roads, however, which 

 are only wide enough for one cart or sledge, must have 

 sufficiently wide places here and there for the return traffic to 



