ROAD. 



reded, and then roll it with the heavy roller, as has been 

 advifed above. 



But in cafes where the foil coniiils entirely of a deep 

 loofe fand, the beft and eafieft way to make a lading road 

 is, to form it to the width intended for the hard materials, 

 and then to let a channel be dug at kail 18 inches in depth, 

 and about tho fame width : let thefe be again filled, and 

 firmly built up with ftrong turf or clay, or any other folid 

 fubftance that will prevent the materials to be laid on the road 

 from fpreading to either fide ; openings being left at every 

 10 or 15 yards, to let the water that falls on the middle 

 part of the road more eafily through. Where the form of 

 the ground requires making irp, a little wall of the fame 

 nature, inttead of digging a channel, may be built on each 

 fcde, nearly as high as the furface of the road is intended to 

 be. Thefe will prevent the hard materials laid on from 

 fpreading, which is the principal caufe of roads made in 

 fuch foils giving way in fo (hort a time ; and thefe materials 

 will not be fo liable to fink into the fand, if it is properly 

 rolled before they are laid on, as well as at different periods 

 after it is finifhed. And if there be a fence on each fide of 

 the road, and materials can be fpared to cover it from fide 

 to fide, there will be the lefs occafion for the little walls ; as 

 thefe are only intended to keep the hard materials within 

 the bounds prefcribed, in cafe it is not judged proper to lay 

 them the whole breadth of the road. Where, however, 

 thofe walls are thought requifite, the fpaces, by being co- 

 vered with a little gravel or freeftone-fand, will make very 

 good foot-ways or horfe-roads ; but in a road finifhed in this 

 way, there will be no occafion for horfe-roads diftinft from 

 the main road, as the whole, if kept in proper order, will, he 

 fuppofes, be fufficiently fmooth and fafe for horfes, or even 

 foot paffengers, to go upon at any time. In (peaking of 

 the making of roads through a clayey foil, it is remarked 

 that thofe formed in fuch diftrids are in common the moil 

 unpleafant of any, chiefly on account of proper precautions 

 not being taken to prevent the water lodging on the fur- 

 face ; fometimes, perhaps, owing to a want of proper ma- 

 terials, fuch as ltones or gravel : but he has often feen the 

 very worft of clay roads, even where no fuch excufe could 

 be given. And that it feems hardly ever to have occurred 

 to thofe who had the diredtion of fuch roads, that fand, pro- 

 perly applied, would in a great mcafure remedy all the de- 

 fects complained of; and there are few parts of a country 

 where fand of fome fort, or freeftone-rock, or iandy gravel, 

 may not be obtained by fome means. In certain fituations 

 it may, no doubt, be more expenlive and difficult to procure 

 fuch materials than in others ; but thefe are local advantages, 

 which road-makers muft lay their account with. But the 

 exceflive inconvenience of bad roads, the expence occafioned 

 by the tear and wear of wheel-carriages and harnefs, the 

 rilk of diflocating the limbs of horfes, together with many 

 other difadvantages, ought to ftimulate all concerned to 

 exert their utmoft endeavours to make roads good, and 

 eafily paffable, be the difficulties what they may, that 

 Hand in the way of them. 



It is hinted, that in fuch places as where no hard ma- 

 terials can be got, if the road were formed nearly in the 

 fame manner as that firft noticed, the evils complained of 

 might probably foon be remedied. The clay fhould be ex- 

 cavated, fo as to form a ridge in the bottom of the excava- 

 tion. There fhould be fmall openings or drain3 at every 

 10 or 15 yards, or at every hollow place, to conduit away 

 the moilture into the main drains. If this excavation is then 

 filled with fand, or any other porous matter eafieft to be 

 got, and finifhed as formerly direfted, there is no doubt 

 but the road would fooo become as good as could be wifhed 



for. Something fimilar to this he has known put in prac- 

 tice by a very ingenious gentleman in Chefhire, on whofe 

 eftate, being a ftrong clay foil, the roads were fo exceffively 

 bad as hardly to be paffable. He dug away the furface of 

 the road to the depth of 12 or 14 inches, and having the 

 command of plenty of fand, he filled up the excavation 

 therewith, and covered the whole with gravel ; by which 

 means he has now made, fo far as completed in this manner, 

 as pleafant a road as one could wifh to travel on. He is 

 not certain if he left the bottom of the excavation with a 

 ridge in the middle, as here directed ; but he is clear this 

 would be an advantage, as well as the outlets at certain dif- 

 tances, to let away the water. 



And in conftrudting roads through boggy or moraffy 

 foils, it is advifed, after proper fteps have been taken, to 

 drain off as much of the water as pofiible, by deep ditches 

 or drains withinfide the fences, if inclofed, or intended to 

 be inclofed, on each fide. Thefe drains fhould be caft at 

 leaft a twelvemonth before any thing elfe is done towards 

 making the road ; for if the place is very boggy, it will be 

 found to fubfide confiderably after the water is drained 

 away ; and fome parts will fubfide more than others, in pro- 

 portion to the depth of the moffy foil, and to the quantity 

 of water lodged there. Thofe parts will, therefore, be the 

 better feen the fecond feafon than the firft. All hollows or 

 irregularities fhould then be filled up and levelled, either by 

 taking from the heights and filling up the hollows, or by 

 fome other proper materials ncareft at hand. In either cafe, 

 the furface fods fhould, with a pufh-plough or paring fpade, 

 be carefully pared off the heights to be lowered, and alio 

 off the hollows to be filled up. Thefe fods fhould be laid 

 afide, till thofe places are brought to their proper level, and 

 fhould then be laid on again. This will make the whole 

 furface of an uniform toughnefs, which would not be the 

 cafe where the fods are not laid on in this way. After this 

 has been done, the breadth of the intended part for re- 

 ceiving the hard materials fhould be marked off; then let 

 that part be covered with fand, or fuch porous fubftance, 

 as before recommended, to the thicknefs of at leaft 10 or 

 12 inches. Then roll this, and finifh it as already directed ; 

 and there is no doubt but a road made in this manner may 

 be as good through a mofs as in any other iituation. This 

 he fpeaks of from experience, having feen the moft pleafani 

 roads made in this manner, through mofles formerly thought 

 impaffable. When the mofs is too foft to admit horfes upon 

 it, the fandy ftratum may be rolled by men, the weight of 

 the roller being regulated by the ftone box, according to 

 their ftrength. Sometimes the rolling is altogether omitted ; 

 but it is much better to roll, when practicable. It is added, 

 that there are other methods of making roads through 

 moffes ; as by laying a foundation of broom, furze, or 

 heath, and then the hard materials above them. But fand 

 is greatly preferable, where it can eafily be got, and when 

 the track of the road is properly drained, as it always ought 

 to be, before any thing is laid upon it with a view of mak- 

 ing a road. Thefe principles and directions are, it is faid, 

 equally applicable on all other forts of foil, with trifling 

 variations, according to the peculiar circumltanees of the 

 cafes. 



And it is fuppofed, that in the above cafes the roads 

 were formed where the fcite or track was nearly level from 

 one fide to the other ; but there are other fituations, fuch 

 as when cut or formed on the fides of hills, where fome 

 other precautions become neceffary to be attended to. 

 In thefe cafes it is obferved, that in making them it fre- 

 quently happens that the excavation affords a fufficient 

 quantity of materials for the purpofe ; and the part cut out 



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