46 BULLETIN 387, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
its large tributary tidewater rivers and bays. Three large moun- 
tain ranges traverse the western section of the State from northeast 
to southwest. These natural subdivisions have presented many 
varying problems in road construction and maintenance. 
In the extreme eastern sections sand and clay are the only local 
materials available for construction. In the middle eastern section 
there are large deposits of gravel and some small ledges of suitable 
stone. However, when it is necessary to build stone roads in either 
of these sections it is found advisable to ship in stone from Mary- 
land, New York or the western sections of Virginia. In the middle 
sections — that is, east of the Blue Ridge Mountains — -there are large 
gravel and soil deposits and varying quantities of suitable stone for 
macadam, concrete and bituminous roads. From the Blue Ridge 
west the majorit}^ of the roads constructed have, up to the present 
time, been water-bound macadam with some surface treatment. 
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT. 
In 1906 the State highway department and State convict road 
force were established. Under this law the convicts and jail prisoners 
are furnished to the counties free of cost; that is, the State feeds, 
clothes and otherwise takes care of the men. They are placed on the 
road each day, and the county furnishes the necessary tools, teams 
and free labor to carry on the work systematically and economically. 
This divides the cost of construction about equally between the State 
and the county. At the present time there are 34 camps established 
in the State, employing from 1,800 to 1,900 men. 
In addition to this, the State has appropriated from year to year 
about $200,000 to be expended in counties in which convict labor is 
not being used. This fund is distributed to the counties according 
to the taxes paid into the State treasury and the counties have to 
meet it with an equal amount. 
Under these two laws the State has assisted the counties in con- 
structing approximately 3,600 miles of road in the past nine years, 
and between 300 and 400 bridges of varying length have been built. 
These roads, after construction, have been turned over to the counties 
and the districts of the counties for maintenance and in many in- 
stances they have been neglected entirely. All State money aid 
and convict labor work is done under the supervision and according 
to the specifications of the State highway department. 
The legislature, at its last session, set aside the licenses received 
from automobiles for the maintenance of the roads which have been 
constructed with State aid, convict labor or county bond issues. 
This fund is to be met by a like amount to be appropriated from 
the county funds. Heretofore these funds have been used by the 
State in construction work. 
