THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 249 



MAKING GOOD EARTH ROADS. 



By 



H. C. Ramsower, Ohio State University. 



When the subject of good roads is mentioned now-a-days, 

 one immediately gets the impression that the modern macadam, 

 costing from $2,000 to $8,000 per mile, is the only road that can 

 come within the meaning of the term. This is not the case. 

 If such were true, the vast majority of people would not have 

 opportunity to enjoy the boon of a "good road," on account of 

 the lack of public funds. 



According to the State Highway Commissioner, there are 

 in the State of Ohio 88,861 miles of public highways. Of this 

 amount, 14,188 miles are gravel roads, 9,687 miles macadam, 

 and 231 miles brick-paved. This leaves 64,755 miles of roads, 

 or J2 per cent of the total mileage, to be classed as unimproved 

 or dirt roads. The writer is an enthusiactic believer in the mod- 

 ern macadam road, but this bulletin is intended to show that 

 good roads can be made of gravel or dirt alone, and it is to the 

 improvement of this 72 per cent of our state highways that we 

 need to give more time and attention. 



Water is the best friend and the worst enemy of the country 

 road ; a friend, in that the roadbed can never become compacted 

 without it; an enemy, in that those detestable mud holes and 

 ruts are the direct result of its action. With the former effect 

 we need not be concerned, but to the latter we must give serious 

 attention. 



It has been well said that the ideal road is one with a good 

 roof and a dry cellar. These two features, a roof to shed the 

 water falling upon the road and to prevent it from standing 

 upon the surface or sinking into the roadbed, and a drain to 

 prevent hillside or seepage water from working up underneath 



