ROAD-MAKING AND DRAINING 127 



of the operations of cultivation or harvesting crop. We 

 often see plantations crowded with trees among which the 

 mule or donkey is allowed to struggle with its " panniers " 

 or " crook " when taking off crop, regardless of the many 

 wounds which are made in the bark of the trees, and the 

 diseases thereby induced. Good roads should lie at short 

 distances apart, and animals should never be allowed among 

 the trees. The distance at which they should be made 

 will have to be determined entirely by the lay or aspect of 

 the plantation. In flat land any distance from four to 

 eight chains may be used ; the richer the soil the nearer 

 the roads should be together. Gnc^LOr J 



As to the material of which roads should be made, little 

 can be said, as it usually depends upon local conditions. 

 If road material is plentiful it is better to make good 

 roads to start with, as working on bad roads and trusting 

 to badly constructed bridges is a most expensive practice. 

 The best procedure which can be recommended is to 

 examine what predecessors have done, and try if possible 

 to improve upon it. A metalled road is, of course, the 

 best and most lasting ; but where road metal from hard 

 rock is not procurable, burnt clay or other material should 

 be substituted. In any case, make good roads, especially 

 the main roads. In Trinidad, material for road-making 

 is not cheap, except in the few districts where suitable 

 rock occtu-s. Bridges are not difficult to construct, where 

 there is a good supply of hard wood in the forest which 

 will make lasting bridges ; but they are made once and 

 for all if constructed of cement concrete. 



In draining, as in pruning and road-making, only 

 general principles can be laid down. All land, of course, 

 requires draining of some kind or another, but no one can 

 give definite instructions for draining an area until it is 

 understood what amount of drainage that particular area 

 requires. Land situated at a low level will, of course, 

 require much more attention to rid it of superabundant 

 water than will hill-side land, and each area must therefore 

 be treated according to its own requirements. 



