ROAD DRAINAGE. 1 89 



drainage cannot be obtained that a base of large stones 

 or timber must be added for a foundation support. 

 While great progress has been made in the improve- 

 ment of roads in many localities by covering with some 

 available road metal such as stone, gravel, brick, 

 and slag, the improved earth road is the base of all, 

 and of necessity must be the road used by the mass of 

 people in country districts ; hence the principles of its 

 construction and maintenance should be familiar to 

 every one. 



The amount of travel which passes over a road has 

 a great deal to do with the completeness with which 

 underdrainage effects it. Where roads are but little 

 travelled, as in the case of farm roads and lanes used 

 by a neighborhood, the simple drainage of land by one 

 line of tile lengthwise through low places has proved 

 sufficient without grading. If one track becomes rut- 

 ted, there is abundant room to make another by its 

 side, and not sufficient travel to require both. Where 

 the travel is heavy, as it is over all leading roads to 

 towns and railroad stations, the case is entirely differ- 

 ent. When the entire width of the road becomes once 

 cut into ruts, and in wet weather puddled on the sur- 

 face by the continued passage of loaded teams, no 

 water will pass through the soil to the drains, and 

 without an embankment and side ditches the road will 

 grow worse. The underdrains will keep a good base 

 upon which to build a road, but they will not take 

 water from a puddled surface. On all such roads ex- 

 perience has proven that we need the combined action 

 of under and surface drainage, together with the con- 

 tinual oversight and care of the travelled surface. One 



