HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 845 
Mr. Lever. Have you ever examined those roads there? 
Mr. Doper. I took a short trip around about Columbia when I vis- 
ited there. 
Mr. Lever. What do you think it would cost a mile to build such 
a road with sand and clay as they have there? 
Mr. Doper. About $300 a mile, I should think. 
My. Lever. If you had to haul the clay from any distance, that 
would cut some figure in the cost? 
Mr. Dover. Yes, sir. 
Mr. Burirsox. Do I understand you to say that, is the best char- 
acter of roads that can be built at that place? — 
Mr. Dover. No; not at all. That is the best thing to do, consider- 
ing the price. 
Mr. Burteson. What I meant, is that the best character of road 
for those people to build‘ 
Mr. Dopex. Now, you take it in approaches to your cities, and it 
might be necessary to harden the surface with something more durable, 
You could put on a coating of stone. That works very well and satis- 
factorily. 
7 he Lever. That is about the cheapest road you could possibly 
ild ¢ 
Mr. Dope. I believe it is. 
Mr. Haucen. About a year ago when I was driving through Wis- 
consin, I found they were treating a sandy road there by sprinkling 
oil; is that one of your discoveries’! 
Mr. Doves. I ¢an not say it is one of our discoveries; but we have 
assembled all the facts together pertaining to that, and issue a bulletin 
instructing the people how to do it. Mr. Abbott, our western repre- 
sentative, whom I mentioned a few moments ago, has devoted a good 
deal of attention to that in California, where they have probably done 
more than in any other place. He has made an exhaustive study of 
it, and has made a thorough report, which is published, and we have 
had very many calls for that. A suitable thing, I believe, would be 
vitrified clay, broken in angular fragments, and treated as broken 
rock, would be all right. e want to go further than that before we 
issue any statement about it. 
Mr. Haucen. This oil has to be applied very frequently, does it 
not? 
Mr. Doper. Once a year, I think. 
Mr. Grarr. Have you made an investigation of the best road mate- 
rial for central Ulinois, where they have the black soil ? 
Mr. Doves. This noviculate I have referred to, that is so common 
in southern Illinois, would be an excellent thing. 
Mr. Grarr. What could this material be purchased for in southern 
Illinois? 
Mr. Dopes. It isa cheap product. It comes without any labor in 
quarrying, and I think it costs about 25 cents a ton. 
Mr. Grarr. At the quarry ? 
Mr. Doner. Yes, sir. 
The Cuarrman. Will it stand frost after it is taken out of the 
quarry 4 
Mr. Dongs. It seems to stand it very well. 
The Cuarrman. How much of a trial have you given it? 
Mr. Dover. The two years that it has been in use. 
