same
slope as the road when finished from center to sides. If the bed or
foundation is of soft sand rolling will be of little use. In this case
care must be taken to keep the bed as uniform as possible while the
stone is being placed on the foundation.

When the road passes through villages and towns the grading should
reduce the roadbed to a grade as nearly level as possible. It must be
borne in mind that the side ditches need not necessarily always conform
to the center grade of the road. When the center grade is level the side
ditches should be graded to carry off the water. In some cases I have
found it necessary to run the grade for the side ditches in an opposite
direction from the grade of the road. This, however, does not often
occur. The main thing is to get the water off the road as soon as
possible after it falls, and then not allow it to remain in the ditches.
And just here the engineer will meet with many difficulties. The
landowners in rural districts are opposed to having the water from the
roads let onto their lands, and disputes often arise as to where the
natural water way is located. This should be determined by the people
in the neighborhood, or by the local authorities. I have found in
several cases, where the water from side ditches was allowed to run on
the land, that the land was generally benefited by having the soil
enriched by the fertilizing matter from the road.

After the roadbed has been thoroughly prepared, if made of loam or clay,
it should be rolled and made as hard and compact as possible. Wherever a
depression appears it should be filled up and made uniformly hard. Place
upon it a light coat of loam or fine clay, which will act as a binder.
If the roller used is not too heavy it may be rolled to advantage, but
the rolling of this course depends upon the character of the stones. If
the stones are cubical in form rolling is beneficial, but if they are of
shale and many of them thin and flat, rolling has a tendency to bring
the flat sides to the surface. When this is the case the next course of
fine stone for the surface will not firmly compact and unite with them.

When the foundation is of telford it is important that stones not too
large should be used. They should not exceed ten inches in length, six
inches on one side, which is laid next to the earth, and four inches on
top, the depth depending on the thickness of the road. If the thickness
of the finished road is eight inches, th