72 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



and in constructing them, let us have them properly drained. 

 Many of us do not need any talk about this. How often have 

 we driven along, in the spring of the year, over a flat road, 

 turnpiked up, and every time the horse stepped, up would come 

 the water, showing the road to be as full of water as a sponge ; 

 only for lack of drainage — nothing else. You and I and all of 

 us believe in draining meadows, and we talk a good deal about 

 the advantages of draining. There is no place where drainage 

 can be done to so good advantage as under a road, in many 

 localities certainly. Then let us have the road-bed constructed 

 of sufficient width. I do not believe county commissioners are 

 up to this work when they order roads graded only 13 to 22 

 feet wide, and it is a positive fact, that there are miles of road 

 in this State that by express order of the county commissioners 

 have been graded but 18 feet, and there is no room for more 

 than one track. Twenty-two feet is the maximum. That is 

 wide enough where there are only two or three carriages pass- 

 ing a day, but it is not wide enough in a town like Fraraitigham, 

 where there are from 300 to 500 passing a day. Then as to 

 the construction of these roads. I know there are towns that 

 cart gravel long distances, where the actual cost of the cartage 

 merely is a dollar and a half a load. They think it is good 

 economy to do that, and so do I. I believe it would be economy 

 to cart it at five dollars a load (though I would rather cart 

 stone), rather than use the material on the ground, such as 

 was referred to by Mr. Flint ; that is entirely unfit to be put 

 into a road. Then let us have thoroughly drained roads ; let 

 us put on proper material. If the town can afford it, if it is a 

 main road that is to be travelled a good deal, let it be macada- 

 mized, by all means. I will not speak of city streets, because 

 that is not a matter which concerns us so much ; but the main 

 thoroughfares in country towns should be macadamized, and 

 there are comparatively few towns in the Commonwealth where 

 there is not stone, hard and soft (and the harder the better), 

 that can be had for this purpose. Then let us go a step further. 

 Having obtained this, having built the road just as we want it, 

 let us give it that care and attention that these first-class roads 

 receive. It is said that, in some parts of Europe, the rubble is 

 left in little heaps along the roads, ready to be used when 

 wanted ; so in the winter, when we are not doing much, we 



