The Construction of Good Roads. 
31 
Stones two and a half inches in their greatest dimension 
represent cubes with a side of about an inch and a half. 
The old roads in the pre-macadam days of the Grand Juries 
of Ireland, and of Mr. Abercombie, in Scotland, were said to 
be repaired with broken stones the size of a turkey’s egg, 
which, with the old-fashioned kind of turkey, was probably 
about right. Absolutely no mud should be put upon patches 
of broken stone unless it is desired to form a new and bad 
road crust on top of the old road cru^t. Stones mixed up 
with mud will not work into the old road crust. Another 
vitally important operation for the maintenance of good 
roads in a really efficient manner is the removal of dust in 
the summer and of mud in the winter as quickly as it is 
formed. An eminent sanitarian lately stated with respect to 
the streets of London that one pound of dust, with the addition 
of water, produces seven pounds of mud. The removal of 
dust and mud should be effected by almost continuous cross 
sweeping, which is the only remedy for the tendency of soft 
roads to track in wet weather. Sweeping and scraping by 
horse-drawn machines is not so satisfactory as hand sweeping, 
unless frequently and carefully done. Sweeping is often much 
more useful, even in winter, than the application of broken 
stones. Where steam rolling is not used, all the materials 
should be spread in the last three months of the year, and the 
possible necessity for additional stones during a wet summer 
prevented by skilful manual labour. 
Roads cannot be satisfactorily maintained without constant 
attention, which is best secured by putting short lengths in 
charge of efficient surface men. It should be noted with great 
care what road maintenance means. It means preventing the 
road from ever getting bad ; it does not mean allowing it to 
get bad and then in a desperate and impossible manner trying 
to make it good again. Except when stones are being spread 
or channels cleared out it is difficult for the ordinary passer- 
by to see, with proper road maintenance, the importance of 
what the surface men are doing. The true principle of their 
work is the “ stitch in time.” A good surface man is, however, 
a rare thing. It is of the utmost importance that hedges and 
trees, especially on the southern side of the road, should be 
pruned and cut, so that the sun and wind, which are great aids 
in road-maintenance in our climate, may have free access to 
the surface. 
Road Foundations. 
A good foundation is essential for every road which is to 
carry heavy traffic, but there has been much confusion of 
thought as to how such a foundation can be secured. 
