202 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



width of the open ditches at the tops is two feet six inches; thus leaving 

 the road fifteen feet wide. This is sufficient width for any ordinary 

 plantation-road, as it will admit of two carts or waggons to pass each 

 other freely. 



In proceeding to form the road as shown in fig. 74, 1 commence first by 

 cutting out the open drains on each side. In doing this I lay off a line of 

 stakes five feet from the first row of trees, and then stake off another line 

 of pins thirty inches from the first line. This gives the width of the top 

 of the drain. The drain is made two feet deep under ordinary circum- 

 stances, and sloped down to about the breadth of a common spade in the 

 bottom. Side drains in plantations may safely be made deeper than 

 those on the side of farm-roads, as, there being less traffic in the planta- 

 tion, and cattle not being admitted, there is less risk of accidents occur- 

 ring. All the soil taken from the drains is thrown on to the body of 

 the road, and spread over it, keeping it a few inches higher in the centre 

 than at the sides. Cross drains should also be cut where required for 

 the necessary outfall of the water. 



Where there are other drains cut in the body of the plantation, and 

 there is a fall towards the road, the roadside drains should be made 

 wider and deeper, so as to make them act as main drains for the others. 

 I consider it best to keep plantation-roads somewhat higher in the 

 centre than farm-roads, as in the former there is not so much traffic 

 upon them, and they are usually for considerable periods never carted 

 on. The object should be to keep them dry and in a fit conditfon for 

 the proprietor and his friends walking upon them in the shooting season, 

 and also fit for a pony-carriage being driven over them when desired. 

 But it is necessary to have a firmer foundation for either walking or 

 driving upon than the loose soil which is thrown over the surface of the 

 road. With this in view, therefore, we have the roadway sown down 

 with permanent grass-seeds, and some kinds of grasses are much better 

 adapted for this purpose than others. 



The following is a list of grasses suitable for sowing down all planta- 

 tion-roads, with the quantity of each required per imperial acre : 



. 



Dactylig glomerata, or rough cocksfoot grass, ... 3 



Anthoxanthum odoratum, or sweet-scented vernal grass, . 4 



Festuca duriuscula, or hard fescue grass, .... 2 



Bwetwn elastius, or tall fescue grass, .... 1 



Alopecurus pratensis, or meadow foxtail grass, ... 2 



Poo, pratensis, or smooth-stalked meadow grass, ... 3 



Poa trivialis, or rough-stalked meadow grass, ... 5 



Poa nemoralis, or wood meadow grass, .... 6 



Phleum pratensis, or Timothy grass, ..... 1 



