be placed below the ground-water level, they are
preserved from decay, and if any suitable material can be found, to
put a thin embankment over them, a good permanent road may be made.

Any tough, fibrous material may be used to temporarily harden the
surface of a road. Hay or straw, tall weeds, corn and cane stalks
have been used to good advantage. Such materials should be laid with
the fibers crosswise of the road, and covered with a thin layer of
earth, thrown on from the sides; except in sand, when it is better to
dig a shallow trench across the road, fill it with the material and
then dig another trench just in front of and in contact with the first
and throw the sand from it back onto the material in the first trench,
etc.

Brush work

=1117. A fascine= is a cylindrical bundle of brush, closely bound. The
usual length is 18 ft. and the diam. 9 ins. when compressed. Lengths
of 9 and 6 ft., which are sometimes used, are most conveniently
obtained by sawing a standard fascine into 2 or 3 pieces. The weight
of a fascine of partially seasoned material will average 140 lbs.

Fascines are made in a =cradle= which consists of five trestles. A
=trestle= is made of two sticks about 6-1/2 ft. long and 3 ins. in
diam, driven into the ground and lashed at the intersection as shown
in Fig. 10. In making a cradle, plant the end trestles 16 ft. apart
and parallel. Stretch a line from one to the other over the
intersection, place the others 4 ft. apart and lash them so that each
intersection comes fairly to the line.

=To build a fascine=, straight pieces of brush, 1 or 2 ins. at the
butt, are laid on, the butts projecting at the end 1 ft. beyond the
trestle. Leaves should be stripped and unruly branches cut off, or
partially cut through, so that they will lie close. The larger
straighter brush should be laid on the outside, butts alternating in
direction, and smaller stuff in the center. The general object is to
so dispose the brush as to make the fascine of uniform size, strength,
and stiffness from end to end.

When the cradle is nearly filled, the fascine is compressed or
=choked= by the =fascine choker=, Fig. 11, which consists of 2 bars 4
ft. long, joined at 18 ins. from the ends by a chain 4 ft. long. The
chain is marked at 14 ins. each way from the middle by inserting a
ring or special link. To use, two men standing on opposite sides pass
the chain under the brush, place the short ends of the handles on top
and p