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This newspaper page contains 14 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Reporter
Location
Boyden, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Aug 13, 1897
Page
8
Discussion on building durable roads emphasizes stone, gravel, and clay as core materials. It argues for local stone crushers, proper drainage to prevent water damage, and yearly, semi permanent improvements to town and county road networks.
A discussion on road maintenance argues funds are exhausted by yearly repairs. It suggests hiring a competent commissioner to implement permanent drainage fixes. The example calls for open ditches four feet wide and deep, filled with rough stones to form effective drains, and covered with top stones.
The article notes crushed stone drains with evergreen boughs or straw, ending at open culverts to cure spring frost holes. Winthrop’s roads, once nearly impassable, now dry and smooth after 65 miles of drainage and nearly four miles of stone drains. Gravel is favored for road surfaces. sand has limited use except in clay.
The article describes road building on clay foundations, noting clay packs dry in good weather but softens after rain. It reports a successful two year old section with crushed stone, gravel, and ground granite, rolled to a solid surface. The method is costly but deemed ultimately cheapest. See Fig. 2. Plow along the gutter edge when using the road machine.
L F Abbott explains road construction principles for clay soils. Emphasizes avoiding surface soil loss, using ditches and shoulders to support stone, and mixing sand gravel or shingle with clay. Recommends deep side ditches and a high crown to reduce water retention and improve travel.
The Journal of Agriculture notes Iowa moves to practical road building. Scott county bought gravel and a stone quarry with crews at work, grading and laying six inches of rock and two inches of macadam, plus boiler steel culverts. County pauper labor will help maintain surfaces as costs run 35 to 40 cents per foot and about $2,000 per mile for improved roads.
An article notes gardening duties with emphasis on keeping grounds clean and free of rubbish to satisfy employers. It also reports Italy’s government after unification constructed about 28 000 miles of highways costing 17 million pounds, highlighting major infrastructure progress.
A farmer explains an original eight by four by nine foot brick evaporator for apples. The design results in efficient fruit drying, with a movable frame system, two by three inch support structure, a central two foot wide door, and a sulfur bleaching step.
In Bulletin 48 of the Utah Experiment Station the process is explained. Plants obtain ash, water, and much nitrogen from soil, while carbon and some nitrogen come from air via leaves. Chlorophyll uses light to split carbonic acid, releasing oxygen and forming charcoal compounds that build plant tissues.
The article laments U S road quality lagging Europe as spring makes western state roads nearly impassable, highlighting widespread deterioration and infrastructure delays. It argues for renewed investment to improve travel and transport efficiency.
Authorities estimate annual maintenance costs per mile of public highways at 90 dollars in England, 165 dollars in France, and 199 dollars in Austria, reflecting differing national approaches to upkeep.
The article argues liberal rations improve milk yield and quality, noting feed composition affects fat, casein, and butter content. A four-part wheat bran to two-part cornmeal to one-part linseed oil mix helps in winter, with corn to ground oats in summer, plus green pasture when possible.
A Dakota Field and Farm note describes a humane head halter design to prevent cows and horses from jumping fences, plus guidance on cleaning milk cans to remove odors and ensure dairy equipment is sanitary. It also cites Prof. J W Robertson on daily variability in milk fat from the same cow under identical conditions.
A writer in the Des Moines Farmer's Tribune argues gravel roads suit Iowa due to their low cost relative to macadam stone. He emphasizes the economic advantage of gravel for rural James County roads and county highways.
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