Pomological Meeting

'i he following is the substance of the t:ilk given by .1. E. Beal before the Pomológica] Society laet Saturday p. m., a fnll account of whicli will be found on the tirnt paito : The best eommentary on road improveïnent is the present condition of the roiuls tlipinselvcs. It has aroused attention all over the country, until bilis ure now before the legislatures of New York, Mnesachusettc Muryland, Rhode Island, Virginia and Pennsylvania. New Jersey pussed a cupital bill last 3'ear, which is iiow building np for her a new sjstem of ï'oads. The universities of Harvard, Brown, Columbln, Jobns Hopkins, and Pennsylvania liave courses on the building of rond?, wliile the latter has offered prl.es of áCOO for the best essays on the subject. At Vanderbllt University free lnstructlon K offered to one man from each county in tlio state on road construction. Onr roads are as wretched as wcre Knland's prior to 1770, but she now has rviie i)f the best systems ia tlie world. In Norway last summer we rode iioross tlie country where it rains 300 days out of the yoar, yet there was no mud witli diily rains, owing to the perfect drainüge of the roads. Land values could be increased at least $10 per acre for farms connected with town by roads which would carry full load the year around, while conservative estimates show that eaeh farmer would save $15 annually worth of time, wear and tear of wugons, Iiarne3s, and horso flesh. It would counteract the teinlency of farmers to move into town to ret :ulvanlagee of Bchools, lectures, et, if thelr childruu could drive in over good roads in a few minute?, while wealtliy townspeople wiiuhl be Indnced to move out a ways lo ivo tlieir cliiUlren the advantagea of pure air, frecdom and the healthfulness of country lite. AU thls would rai.-e tlie value of farms. Tliousands of dollars have been lost to Aun Arbor mcrohant tlie p-.ist few ycars bj' impatsible roads. Farmers have liad produce the city needcd and which they wanted to exchanpre, but tnany have not been to town this winter. All ;.re interested in good roads anJ ïll ought to work together for the public sood. The state sliould build some roads between tlie largo cltles by 'general taxatlon on corporations, city people and farmers alike. A State Coromiasloner of Road and Bridges should be appointed who sliould be an eoglneer. He sliould visit the counties and supervise improvements, tbrough COUIJty road commissioners who shoulil be appointed by the supervisors. The county ollicer sliould not be elected, for he should be an enineer (who could be the countj' surveyor also). and the best man would be gotten by appointment, as at times tbey might have to o out of the county to fret a good man. Iti doing the best work four pointe raust be iusisted upon, viz: State and county work rather tüau township (except for unimportant roads) ; Abolish working out roafl tax (except possibly for unusual work bevond appropriaüons); have one. man order expenditures ia county who would therefore be responeib'e for good roads and have a proper classification of roads made by State Commissioner, ssy into state, county and town roads. Counties mifrlit be divided into road district?, where one or two men would be employed theyear round in looKing ifler the drainage, filliiig up holes and ruis aa soon as discovered, cuttinx weeds, etc. Naturally it cannot all be doae at once to get good roads everywhere, but we niny do as Canada has done, that is build a iart sit a time. Slie has been ut itthirty years and now has far better roads than are dreamed of tbla side. As an educator a stone crusher shonh] be purchased by the city, or several townships for 500, and a few roads built in a proper marnier which wonld show our peoplc what a grand thing is a good road. It could be run by a threshlng machine engine and stone are plenty over 1I tlte county and state. We cannot stand these roads much longer, so we must get out of the rut ana mend our ways.