66 BULLETIN 414, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
comfort of the men. In one of the Western States it has been the 
custom for several years past to move a camp of about 50 men 
more than 200 miles from its base and over 100 miles from a railroad 
in order to reach a climate sufficiently mild for the men to be em- 
ployed during the winter months. 
A few camps, most of them in the Eastern States, were laid out on 
rather marshy ground in the vicinity of pools of stagnant water. 
However, these were only temporary, and the officers in charge, 
while quite aware of the undesirability of the locations, stated that 
they were unable to find any land in the vicinity of the work which 
afforded better sites. 
In one camp a bunk house was built under a very large tree with 
foliage so dense that the sun never could penetrate it. The structure 
was provided with board sides and a canvas roof, and the only open- 
ing was a single door at one end. As a result, its interior was dark 
and musty even in dry, midsummer weather. 
CONSIDERATIONS WHICH SHOULD GOVERN THE SELECTION OF A CAMP SITE. 
By selecting the site at the intersection of two or more roads which 
are to be improved, the mileage which may be constructed from one 
location may be increased proportionately. 
The 3-mile limit mentioned above is fixed by consideration of the 
time required to transport the men from the camp to the work and 
back, and it depends therefore to a large extent upon the means of 
transportation employed. It is approximately correct when the men 
walk to work or are transported on the work wagons drawn by slow- 
moving mule teams, but if motor trucks are used, as is done in some 
instances, this distance may be increased to fully 7 or 8 miles with no 
sacrifice of economy, provided the general condition of the road sur- 
faces permits the use of the trucks. 
By judicious arrangement of the work and the exercise of a certain 
amount of foresight, it may be possible often to select a location for 
a camp which can be occupied for a period of five years or more if 
motor trucks are used, and from which all the roads lying within a 
radius of 7 or 8 miles may be worked. Furthermore, by a wise dis- 
tribution of such camps over the county it may be possible to build 
them as permanent camps to serve their sections whenever there is 
work to be done in them, and so avoid entirely the necessity of 
moving or rebuilding camp structures. As stated, the success of 
such a system will depend upon the suitability of the roads, grades, 
and natural conditions for truck transportation; it will also depend 
upon the extent to which the truck can be employed for camp pur- 
poses and for road work when not used for transporting men. The 
system is being employed in a number of localities with apparently 
satisfactory results. 
