Southern good roads . the geology of the countrywhich it traverses. If the under-structure of the earth,as is usual, varies much in the character, there is cer-tain to be a great choice in the materials which maybe made to serve in road-making. Some of these mayprove, under the action of frost rain, totally mi-serviceable, though their general aspect and momen-tary character may appear exactly suited to the endin view. Others, though soft on first exi^osure, rap-idly become compact and enduring through a processof hardeniag which resembles that which takes placein good mortar. Here, as el
Southern good roads . the geology of the countrywhich it traverses. If the under-structure of the earth,as is usual, varies much in the character, there is cer-tain to be a great choice in the materials which maybe made to serve in road-making. Some of these mayprove, under the action of frost rain, totally mi-serviceable, though their general aspect and momen-tary character may appear exactly suited to the endin view. Others, though soft on first exi^osure, rap-idly become compact and enduring through a processof hardeniag which resembles that which takes placein good mortar. Here, as elsewhere in the road-mak-ers art, we find that lie needs to be a naturalist, or, inother words, he must have a keen sense of the varietyof conditions in the world about him. Although some-thing of this sense may be born in men, we cannot trustto chance for discretion, but must seek to attain it b>education. ]\lany of tlie worst roads in this country are broughtinto their abject state by an unreasonable interference. Taking to the New Trail —Rood on the Isthmus of Panama Avitli natural processes—an interference which arisesfrom an ignorant preposession that all roads shouldhave the same general aspect. Thus, in sandy regions,such as those in southeastern ilassachusetts, and inmany other districts near the southern margin of thearea occupied by the ice during the last glacial period,the first wagon-roads belonged to the class which wemay call track-ways, in which the path was just wideenough for a single vehicle, with occasional turn-outsto permit wagons to pass each other. On these a single pair of parallel ruts were quickly formed,the growth of bushes and low forest trees pressing soclose to the road-way as to form a wall of foliage oneither side. In many cases the crease made by thehubs of the wagons could be distinctly traced in thethick-set vegetation. Roads of this description afford-ed excellent wheeling, and were maintained almostwithout cost. The fallin
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Keywords: ., bookauthorvarnerhe, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1910
