OBJECT-LESSON AND EXPERIMENTAL EOADS^, 1912-13. 17 



spread by hand while the rest was obtained from the sides of the road and 

 spread with the road grader. The binding qualities of the clay and the wearing 

 qualities of the clay and sand appear to be very good. 



Cross drains, 28 feet long, were constructed of 10-inch and 24-inch sewer 

 pipe at stations 25 and 55, respectively. 



The equipment consisted of one 6-mule grader, 1 rooter plow, 1 turn plow, 1 

 disk harrow, wagons, and hand tools. 



The total cost of the road was $513.55, which is at the rate of $0,054 per 

 square yard. The principal items of cost were as follows : Excavation, at $0.11 

 per cubic yard, $115.05; shaping the subgrade, at $0,002 per square yard, $19.50; 

 loading and hauling clay, at $0.15 per cubic yard, $235.59 ; spreading clay, at 

 $0,015 per cubic yard, $23.10 ; loading and hauling sand, $30.72 ; spreading sand, 

 $2.40; mixing, at $0.0025 per square yard, $24.26; trimming shoulders, $8.80;, 

 stripping and refilling clay pits, $19.84 ; moving fences, $4.65 ; and culverts, 

 $29.64. The above costs were based upon a labor cost of $0.60 per day of 10 

 hours, and a cost for teams of $1 per day of 10 hours. Convict labor and 

 county teams were used. 



Talbotton, Ga. — Work on the sand-clay road known as the Centerville Road, 

 which was begun during the fiscal year 1912, but which, owing to unfavorable 

 weather conditions, was discontinued on January 6, 1912, was resumed on 

 August 20, and finally completed on August 24, 1912. During the previous year 

 the road was graded 30 feet wide for 3.525 feet and surfaced 14 feet wide for 

 1,950 feet. When the work was resumed this surface was found to be in ex- 

 cellent condition with the exception of slight inequalities resulting from a lack 

 of proper care as the road dried out in the spring. The surface, constructed 

 last year, was extended 1,625 feet, with a width of 14 feet, making 2.528 square. 

 yards, upon which 614 cubic yards of surfacing material was used. This 

 material, which was hauled an average distance of 1 mile, consisted of red 

 clay and fine loamy sand, and the clay was spread 4 inches deep before com- 

 pacting and the sand 8 inches. As in the previous work, the crown adopted 

 was three-fourths inch to 1 foot. The section between stations 34+25 and 

 35+25 was slightly inferior owing to the fact that the subgrade was wet and had 

 not fully settled when the surface was laid. An additional amount of sand 

 was used on this section, however, and it is expected that it will eventually be 

 as good as the rest of the road. The force employed was the regular county 

 road force, and was made up of 23 convicts, 3 guards, a superintendent, and 

 19 mules. Convict labor cost $0.50 per day and teams $1. The principal items 

 of cost were as follows : Loading surfacing material, at $0,062 per cubic yard, 

 $38.25 ; hauling surfacing material, at $0,091 per cubic yard, $56 ; spreading 

 surfacing material, at $0,001 per square yard, $2.25; mixing, at $0.0075 per 

 square yard, $18.50 ; shaping, at $0,002 per square yard, $5 ; repair and main- 

 tenance, $10 ; and camp care for convicts, $17.50, making the total cost of the 

 work performed this year $147.50. The cost of work previously completed was 

 $1,067.31, and the total cost of the road was, therefore, $1,214.81, which is at 

 the rate of $0.22 per square yard. 



Houston, Miss. — A section of sand-clay road was constructed in Chickasaw' 

 County, leading north from Houston toward Houlka. This road is locally 

 known as the Pontotoc Road. A survey was made on April 22, 1913, and grad- 

 ing was begun on April 25, 1913. The road, as originally planned, was not com- 

 pleted under the supervision of the Office of Public Roads. This was due to the 

 fact that sufiicient force was not employed to justify continuing the assignment. 

 On May 29, 1913, the work was turned over to a competent foreman with a view 

 to continuing it after the office representative was withdrawn. The land adja- 



17627°— Bull. 53—13 3 



