one, like syenite, is the best. This wears smooth,
as the rough edges of the stone come in contact with the wheels. It
requires good judgment based on experience to determine the right kind
of stone to take the constant wear of horseshoes and wagon tires.

If good roads are desired, the work is not done when the road is
completed and ready for travel. There are many causes which make
repairing necessary. I will refer to only a few of them. Stone roads are
liable to get out of order because of too much water or want of water;
also, when the natural roadbed is soft and springy and has not been
sufficiently drained; when water is allowed to stand in ditches and form
pools along the road, and when the "open winters" give us a
superabundance of wet. Before the road becomes thoroughly consolidated
by travel it is liable to become soft and stones get loose and move
under the wheels of the heavily loaded wagons. In the earth foundation
on which the stone bed rests the water finds the soft spots. The wheels
of the loaded teams form ruts, and particularly where narrow tires are
used.

The work of repair should begin as soon as defects appear, for, if
neglected, after every rain the depressions make little pools of water
and hold it like a basin. In every case this water softens the material,
and the wagon tires and horseshoes churn up the bottoms of the basins.
This is the beginning of the work of destruction. If allowed to go on,
the road becomes rough, and the wear and tear of the horses and wagons
are increased. Stone roads out of repair, like any common road in
similar condition, will be found expensive to those who use and maintain
them. The way to do is to look over a road after a rain, when the
depressions and basins will show themselves. Whenever one is large
enough to receive a shovelful of broken stone, scrape out the soft dirt
and let it form a ring around the depression. Fill with broken stone to
about an inch or two above the surface of the road. The ring of dirt
around will keep the stone above the surface in place, and the passing
wheels will work it on the broken stone and also act as a binder. The
whole will work down and become compact and even with the road surface.
The ruts are treated in the same way. Use one and one-half inch stone
for this; smaller stones will soon grind up and the hole appear again.

The second cause of the necessity for road repairs is want of water.
This occurs in summer during hot, dr