102 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The trench shall be excavated to a depth of 12 inches below the 

 finished grade of the gutter; gravel shall then be spread and rammed to 

 a depth of 4 inches. A layer of bedding sand or gravel free from stone 

 larger than y 2 inch in diameter shall then be spread of a sufficient thick- 

 ness to bring the gutter stones which are bedded in it to the proper grade 

 and cross-section after they are thoroughly rammed. 



Each stone is to be rammed to an unyielding foundation. The sur- 

 face shall then be covered with sand or screened gravel, which must be 

 well broomed into all joints. The stone shall then be re-rammed and the 

 surface left true and even. Sand or screened gravel shall then be spread 

 over the entire surface of sufficient depth to fill all interstices. 



The edge of the gutter toward the road shall be left y^ inch below the 

 surface of the adjoining broken stone; in no case must it project 

 above it. 



Any broken stone which may be disturbed during the paving of the 

 gutter must be carefully replaced and thoroughly rammed. 



The bank on the outside of the gutter must be sloped to the gutter, so 

 as to have no bunches or depressions on its surface. 



These extracts show the careful attention paid to small details of con- 

 struction, in the state highway work of Massachusetts. 



Earth Roads, Construction and Maintenance 



It is not proposed, within the limits of this article, to go into further 

 detail on the subject of road building, as there are already many books 

 in which this subject is adequately treated, especially the construction of 

 Macadam and Telford roads. It seems important however, to call atten- 

 tion to some of the difficulties encountered in maintaining earth roads. 

 If there were no rainfall it would be comparatively easy to make and 

 maintain roads of clay, loam or gravel. Rain, snow and frost are the 

 chief sources of trouble. Theoretically by a curved cross-section of road 

 bed the water is caused to flow oft, practically as soon as the road bed is 

 softened by rain, wheel tracks quickly form longitudinally and prevent 

 the water from escaping except at long intervals, It therefore is of little 

 value to give an earth road a cross-section of pronounced curvature. 

 The nearer flat it is without approaching concavity the wider the bearing 

 of the wheels on the road bed and the less the cutting by them. A 

 slight convexity is desirable to balance the wear along the central line. 



In hilly districts where grades are steep, it is of the greatest importance 

 to prevent the water from flowing lengthwise of the road. This is 

 effected inexpensively by making a ridge of earth across the road which 

 turns the water to one side or the other. These ridges, which are called 

 breaks or breakers and in some localities ' thank you ma'ams,' are uncom- 

 fortable to drive over and have little durability. On very steep ascents 



