74 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The Chairman. We have a gentleman with us wlio is posted 

 on all occasions, and speaks ably upon any subject of which he 

 treats. I allude to my friend, Dr. Loring, the president of the 

 New England Agricultural Society. Shall we hear from him ? 



Dr. Loring discussed in a somewhat elaborate manner the 

 various modes of road making, recommending system and 

 economy, and the avoidance of any centralized organization 

 which might interfere with local wants and interest. 



Hon. Richard Goodman of Lenox. As the mountain towns 

 have been referred to, I may as well, coming as I do from a 

 mountain town, give expression to our views in regard to moun- 

 tain roads. 



I apprehend there are few of us who will differ in the main 

 from the views expressed by Mr. Flint and Mr. Hyde. It will 

 not be denied, I think, that the present system of making roads 

 is inimical to the best interests of the Commonwealth, whether 

 in the mountain towns or any other parts of the State where it 

 is carried on by any labor except that of competent hired labor, 

 paid in money. But, sir, the main question wliicli we want to 

 discuss here, I apprehend, is as to the mode of remedying these 

 difficulties ; and notwithstanding the observations of my friend, 

 Dr. Loring, as to the practice abroad, perhaps we may gather as 

 much information by the light of past experience, whether 

 coming from abroad or at home, as in any other way. I appre- 

 hend that we are really as badly off as they were in Europe at 

 the end of the last century. They had roads there about equiva- 

 lent to our present roads here. Many of them ilnpassable, 

 almost, in winter; muddy at this season of the year, and impos- 

 sible to get through in spring. We find that in Scotland, as 

 late as 1730 (a country with as sparse a population as we have 

 now), they had roads of the same character, and they never 

 obviated that difficulty until they began to improve them upon 

 a certain system, and that system was the same which has been 

 carried out in France and in England, as distinguished from 

 what they called in France the cor vie system, which is a system 

 where the taxes are worked out on the roads. We find from 

 the records of France, that when that great minister, Turgot, 

 the minister of Louis XIV. came into office, it was costing 

 about four times as much to repair their roads by the old sys- 

 tem as it afterwards cost when the money was raised and used 



