TWEXTY-NIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS^ CONVENTION. 



189 



shorten the distance from Ogden to Lucin 40 miles and to save two hom'S 

 in time for every train. In one portion of the lake it is said that they 

 encountered a bad sink, or crevice in the earth's crnst, which required 

 a cubic mile of earth to fill it up. That amount would amply fill everj^ 

 chuckhole in the county. 



Good roads are a splendid advertisement for the country. Who can 

 estimate the value to California of the road leading to Yosemite Val- 

 ley? Those who have traveled it, say it is the best mountain road they 

 ever saAv. The Yosemite Valley is not a commercial place. The road 

 was built at great expense, and is used mostly by tourists who visit 

 the valley for pleasure and to see its wonderful beauties. If it was 

 necessary to have a good road leading there for pleasure, how much 

 more important it is to have good roads over which we must haul our 

 produce .to market. The days of ox-teams and prairie-schooners have 

 passed. We live in an age of bicycles and automobiles, which require 

 good, smooth roads. Railways and electric roads are usually built by 

 private means, and no pains or expense is spared to make them efficient. 

 Public roads are built by taxation. Every one must contribute a share 

 of the taxes. How necessary that this money should be used Avisely. 

 The National Grange at Rochester, New York, November 17th, submitted 

 the following resolution: 



Resolved, That a standing good roads committee be appointed, whose duties shall be 

 to gather all the information possible regarding the workings of the road laws and 

 systems of the various States, and any and all information obtainable bearing upon the 

 subject; this matter to be published in such form as the committee deem best for dis- 

 tribution. 



Resolved, That all State granges be requested to co-operate in this movement. 



These resolutions were for the building of national roads. In Con- 

 gress last year a bill was introduced appropriating $20,000,000 for 

 national road building. A similar bill will go before Congress this 

 session. 



We have over fifty miles of roads in this district, and most of them 

 are in fairly good condition, except the numerous chuckholes, many of 

 which are near and some within the city limits and all dangerous, 

 especially at night. 



I can not close this subject without speaking of the weeds and cockle- 

 burs which are allowed to grow along our highways. They are never 

 cut until their seeds have fully matured and are well scattered over the 

 ground. They have spread so rapidly that many pastures have more 

 cockleburs than grass or alfalfa. They are often thicker on the cattle 

 than bacteria in the milk. There is no " race suicide " about a cocklebur. 



A few years ago at a public meeting a gentleman spoke of the possi- 

 ble damages from Johnson-grass. He said that if any one should tell 

 him that Johnson-grass had made its appearance in his vineyard, and 

 at the same time some one should say, " Your house is on fire," he would 



