198 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



is to dry the substratum of the road only, they should be cut a good 

 depth. Presuming that they are cut four feet deep, the soil will only 

 be dry to a depth of three feet six inches, and perhaps not deeper than 

 three feet, as the soil always holds the water to a certain height above 

 the water-run ; as, for instance, if we take a piece of common blotting- 

 paper and dip it in water, the water will rise considerably into the 

 paper. 



It is a great saving, in the after expense of maintaining a good road, 

 to have it made thoroughly dry at first ; and although it may appear a 

 heavy extra expense at the time, yet it becomes the cheapest course in 

 the end. 



The drains having been cut to the required depth, a pipe-tile should 

 be laid in the bottom and it is best to put in a large pipe, not less than 

 three inches in diameter ; this admits a current of air to pass up the 

 drain, and has a great effect 1 in preserving the foundation of the road. 

 Stones broken to a convenient size should be laid down in the drain 

 and above the pipes to a depth of eighteen inches, as at c, and then a 

 turf or sod should be laid over the stones to prevent soil getting in 

 amongst them. The drain should then be filled to within one foot of the 

 surface with the soil, and well trodden down, after which the open side 

 drains b should be formed. They should be one foot deep at the side next 

 the road, twenty inches broad at top, and about the breadth of a com- 

 mon spade at the bottom. This open drain at the side is to receive the 

 surface-water from the road. It is a common practice to fill such drains 

 as shown at a full to the top with stones ; but I have found it very 

 injudicious to do so, as the sand and mud, washing off the road, flow 

 through the stones into the pipes and very soon choke them up. I 

 have found it better to have a drain on each side to dry the substratum, 

 and to have separate open drains on the surface to run off the rain- 

 water independent from the other. In other cases, we find that there 

 are no covered drains, but veiy large open ditches, at the sides. It is a 

 waste of land to have these large open ditches, and besides, it is danger- 

 ous to travellers in conveyances. 



As to the width of road necessary for farm purposes, it is a waste of 

 land and expenditure to have them very wide, and yet it is false economy 

 to have them very narrow. About eighteen feet is, I consider, a very 

 fair width for farm-roads, and for general farm and estate purposes. 



In regard to the formation of the surface of the road, it is by many 

 considered of great importance to have the bed of the road formed with 

 a curve. Where the soil is a very stiff clay, impervious to water, it is 

 an advantage to have it slightly rounded ; but where this is not the case, 

 no benefit will result from having it rounded, as after the stones have 



