82 STUDY OF ROAD MAINTENANCE 



shovel, to hold the road where it has heen placed. On level 

 or nearly level ground, this work will be found very slight, 

 provided only a good surfacing material is available and the 

 traffic is not of the largest amount or heaviest kind. The con- 

 stant passage of stone and other heavy teams is very trying even 

 to a good road. 



Hills, particularly steep ones, require constant attention and 

 expenditure ; hence a strong argument in favor of permanently 

 cutting down grades. 



The shape of the road-bed is important. Usually one of two 

 extremes in using the road machine is met with. Either the 

 operator is afraid of cutting down the hips of a road, and so 

 leaves a ditch on each side inside the main ditch, which very 

 commonly results disastrously, especially on hills; or else the 

 hips are cut entirely down, leaving a steep, rounded shoulder 

 which narrows up the way, exposes the surface to unnecessary 

 wash, is fi'equently positively dangerous for passing teams, and 

 allows the road, in homely phrase, to squat out at the sides. 

 The surface should be a straight line from the centre to the 

 side ditches, with a suitable grade to each side adapted to the 

 longitudinal grade of the road, being more crowning as the hill 

 is steeper. If the hips are' in the way, cut them down just 

 enough for the grade and no more. Be sure to carry the 

 grade straight from centre to inner edge of ditch ; frequently 

 to bottom of ditch when elevation of road-bed or drainage does 

 not require an extra depth to these appendages. 



HIGHWAY LAWS THE OLD AND THE NEW 



During the recent session of the legislature of New Hamp- 

 shire, an effort was made to return to the old district sys- 

 tem of highway management. This attempt failed, but was 

 supported by many of the rural communities because of dis- 

 satisfaction with the working of certain features of the new 

 law. As both the old and the new laws are very generally 

 understood, it will not be necessary to quote them entire in 

 commenting upon certain portions of them here. 



There were two features of the old law, so frequently vicious 

 in their practical working, that it is doubtful if it were wise 

 for any town to readopt them. One of these, viz. : the clause 



