The Under Roads

The Parairie Farmer notices an instance of improvenient of roads on the prairie in Dallas county, Iowa.b y placing a single tile under the center of the road-bed, and the result was highly satisfactory, making an always dry road where it had previously been almost impassable. He gives credit te Prof. Carpenter of the Michigan argri cultural colige for calüng attention to this method. It is a good hint for application it is well known that directly over a tile train that is well laid and has a good outlet no matter how wet the ' soil previeusiy, the gronnd is always dry and a team can be driven over it, when it would be almoat impossible to do so away from the drain in the same field. Surface ditches as usual on eaeh side of the road are useful to remove the surface water and prevent the suface of the track from being cut into ruts when the heavy rains are falling, but they do not answer the purpose for keeping the roads dry. Iudeed it is of ten the case that they help to keep them wet. This is true where the fall is suffleient and the ditches are filled with water which easily soakes into the joining soil, keeping it Bof t and wet. We must have better roadi inthis state. The public are waking up to the f act that it is a standing disgrace to our intelligence and enterprise to endure the next to impassible roads during the spring and fall in many localities. The feeginning of this work, whother by the public authorities, road improvement associations or in any other way, requires the adoption of a system an the work commenced in accordanc with it, and this matter of tilling wil be the best beginning that can be made, Place a tile under the road, o better two, one on each side, 10 or 12 feet apart, tha size varying accordin; to the distance to be oarried, and th work of putting bad, wet roads in good shape will be more than hal done.