52 BULLETIN 393^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



Schools that had t6 close by reason of faihire in attendance previous to the build- 

 ing of good roads now assist in supporting good consolidated schools, at which the 

 attendance is splendid. 



The 4-rooni school known as Maple Grove, in the Hurricane District, is one of these. 

 It supplants three 1-room schools, each of which, without exception almost, failed 

 every year to keep up its average. At present there are but two teachers in the con- 

 solidated school, but they have an enrollment of 64, with an attendance last month 

 (September, 1915), of 59. 



The Duncan Gap School, a 2-room building, supplanting two 1-room schools, is 

 doing well, and would not have been possible but for good roads, in my opinion. 



The above schools are in the heart of the country. 



The percentage of population em:olled has increased from about 70 per cent during 

 our bad roads to at least 90 per cent for the last year, before compulsory attendance 

 was enforced, and will be better than that this year, I have no doubt. 



It might be well to add, also, that a number of parents who own automobiles and 

 who live in the country districts are now bringing their children into larger towns, 

 that they may have the benefit of a strictly graded, well-manned high school. Before 

 our good roads this was, of course, absolutely impossible. 



FRANKLIN COUNTY, N. Y. 



In 1910 Franklin County authorized the issue of $500,000 in bonds 

 with which to improve certain important roads designated as county 

 roads. The county is located in the northeastern part of the State, 

 extending from the St. Lawrence River to well within the Adirondack 

 Mountains and comprismg a land area of 1,678 square miles, or 

 1,073,920 acres, of which, in 1910, 18.6 per cent, or 199,824 acres, 

 was improved farm land. The topography varies from compara- 

 tively level in the north to rolling in the central portion and moun- 

 tainous in the south, with an average elevation above sea level of 155 

 feet in the north, 800 feet in the central portion, and 1,600 feet in the 

 southern portion. Small rivers and creeks are numerous. The soil 

 varies from dark vegetable clay loam to light sandy loam. During 

 the winter snow generally covers the ground for a period of 3 to 4 

 months. The snow roads, when rolled or packed down, are very 

 good, and loads weighing 2 tons or more are readily drawn with 2 

 horses. A large proportion of the forest products which pass over 

 the pubhc roads are hauled on sleds during the winter months. 



The county is weU provided with road-building material. There 

 are numerous outcroppings of Adirondack gneiss in the southern 

 part, of granite and sandstone in the central, and of dolomite and 

 limestone in the northern- part. Glacial deposits of granite and 

 sandstone bowlders and gravel are everywhere abundant and of 

 excellent quahty for road-building purposes. 



There are no large cities withm the county or in the immediate 

 environment. Malone, the county seat and principal town, had a 

 population in 1910 of 6,447. The population of the entire county was 

 45,717 in 1910, 



