CONVICT LABOR FOR ROAD WORK. 145 
with regard to the selection of the three ingredients, cement, sand, 
and stone, and the best methods of preparing the concrete, building 
forms, etc., is contained in Farmers' Bulletin No. 461, "The Use of 
Concrete on the Farm," prepared by the Office of Public Roads and 
Rural Engineering. Persons desiring copies of this bulletin may ob- 
tain them free from the United States Department of Agriculture, 
Washington, D. C. 
CLOTHING, CAMP SUPPLIES, AND EQUIPMENT. 
The problem of supplying and equipping a convict camp is a most 
complex one, and one which, for its handling, demands a broad study 
of the relative costs, durability, and suitability of the large number 
of trade articles and supplies which are available. Too often, in the 
hurry to put the camp into operation so as to realize the benefits of 
the convicts' work on the roads, the purchase of supplies and equip- 
ment receives but scant attention; articles are bought with little 
reference to their suitability and adequacy, to say nothing of their 
durability, simply because they are easily obtained locally. This 
haste results in rapid deterioration, discomfort, inconvenience, and 
loss of time which materially affect the economy of operation of the 
camp. 
Though space does not permit a full discussion of all the items of 
supplies and equipment which have their places, in a well-designed 
convict camp, and though the subject is such as to require particular 
study under the special conditions of each camp, a few of the more 
important items are discussed below from the standpoints of conven- 
ience, durability, and cost, and a number of other articles, with their 
approximate costs, are briefly listed. It is not considered that all the 
articles mentioned are necessary for all camps. They are given sim- 
ply as suggestions of the articles available for supplying the clearly 
denned wants of convict camps, primarily with the purpose of recall- 
ing their availability to officials charged with equipping camps. 
CLOTHING. 
The clothing worn in convict camps varies considerably in quality 
and quantity; while the durability of various articles of the same 
grade, as reported from different localities, varies even more widely. 
This, however, may be expected to vary with climatic conditions and 
with the character of the work upon which the convicts are employed. 
In general, it will be found that the life of most articles of clothing 
will be shorter in a wet climate than a dry one ; and such work as rock 
excavation and quarrying causes more wear and tear than those 
works on which the danger of tearing is less and the material handled 
is softer. 
