Turnpike and Parish Roads. 



363 



in a (lark or foggy night of no check or impediment whatever 

 between the centre of the road and the bottom of the adjoining 

 ditch. The district man would be answerable that the sides of 

 the road were not destroyed, but that, at the same time, a free 

 and open passage was left for the water to get off ; and, in fact, all 

 the advantages that the mile system possesses for a turnpike -road 

 may be most readily adapted to parish-roads ; and in no point 

 would it be more advantageous than in laying on the gravel in 

 such places only where the road was in a fit and proper form to 

 receive it, instead of the careless and improvident manner in 

 which fresh gravel (whenever it is put on a parish-road) is thrown 

 down by some farmer's team employed to carry out so many loads 

 of gravel, and of course the carter throws it down in the place 

 most convenient to himself, without the least reference to the 

 wants of the road. Thus it happens that in nine parishes out of 

 ten complaint is made that the roads are bad, and the highway- 

 rate oppressive to the farmer. So long as the present system is 

 continued of employing nothing but a few old men three-parts 

 worn out, or perhaps a drunken old butler or gardener (that the 

 squire of the parish can no longer permit to remain in his service), 

 as the only labourers on parish-roads, so long the highways in 

 general must cost large sums, and still remain in bad repair. 



It may be interesting to some of my readers that I should 

 mention having made extensive green rides in a very economical 

 manner by means of the plough, taking three or four half-bouts 

 on each side of the intended ride, beginning very shallow, and 

 going gradually deeper towards the edge or water-table, throwing 

 the furrow always inward ; after which the furrow-slice is thrown 

 into a one-horse cart with a fork, being previously cut across into 

 convenient sizes by a sharp spade, and carried to the manure -heap, 

 the value of which pays the expense of ploughing and removing ; 

 and, without further trouble, (when all the furrow-slices are re- 

 moved,) you will find a very well-formed ride. A few grass-seeds 

 thrown in in the spring completes at very little cost what, were it 

 done in the more ordinary way, by labourers, would be found ex- 

 tremely expensive. 



