200 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



by high hedges and too many hedgerow trees hanging over them. Both 

 the hedges and trees not only prevent the sun and air having a free 

 action on the road, but the drippings of the rain from their branches 

 injure the road very much. 



In forming roads across marshy or boggy land, the foundation should 

 be thoroughly drained by cutting deep ditches or drains parallel to the 

 intended line of road, and at each side of it. It is also advisable, in 

 cases where the marsh or bog is very wet, to form cross drains between 

 the side ones, giving the cross drain a fall each way from the centre. 

 Presuming that the bed of the road has been drained as described, it 

 then should be thickly covered over with a good layer of turf or sods, 

 or, what is as good, a quantity of brushwood sufficiently thick, so as it 

 will stand at least one foot thick when compressed ; and upon this the 

 body of the road should be formed, in the way already described, with 

 either stones or gravel. 



Care should be taken, in forming roads, to see that the stones used 

 are good for the purpose. The stones should not be friable, but of a 

 hard nature. The hard limestones, granite, and whinstone are amongst 

 the best for the purpose. 



The cost of making new roads will vary much with the nature of the 

 country or district through which they run, and the nature and cost of the 

 materials with which they are formed. To arrive at the cost of any pro- 

 posed new road, the line of it must be inspected, plans and sections of 

 it taken, and calculations made accordingly. Mr Telford made eight 

 hundred and seventy-five miles of roads in the Highlands of Scotland. 

 They are excellent roads, always dry, and although made through moun- 

 tainous parts of the country, yet there are very few steep gradients. The 

 cost of completing the eight hundred and seventy-five miles was 454,189, 

 or at the rate of 519 per mile, which included the cost of bridges. 



SECTION 3. Plantation-Roads. 



The formation of roads in woods and plantations need not differ in 

 any way from farm-roads, where there is a considerable amount of traffic ; 

 but usually plantation-roads are made without stones, and laid down in 

 grass, and are termed " rides." These rides, if properly made, kept dry, 

 and sown down with suitable grasses, stand a great amount of work. It is 

 not usually thought necessary to go to the expense of forming good roads 

 in plantations. It is, however, an error to have any considerable extent 

 of woods and plantations without having the means of removing the 

 timber easily. In my experience I find good roads add considerably to 



