Page:Remarks on the Present System of Road Making (1823).djvu/136

 In making a road under these circumstances, do you make the whole of the depth of materials at once?—No, I prefer making a road in three times.

Three different times?—Yes.

To what size would you break the hard materials?—To the size of six ounces weight.

Do you not think that is an indefinite criterion; had you not better mention the size?—No; I did imagine myself, that the difference existed to which you allude, and I have weighed six ounces of different substances, and am confident there is little difference in appearance and none in effect; I think that none ought to exceed six ounces; I hold six ounces to be the maximum size. If you made the road, of all six-ounce stones it would be a rough road; but it is impossible but that the greater part of the stones must be under that size.

Do you find a measure or ring through which the stones will pass, a good method of regulating their size?—That is a very good way, but I always make my surveyors carry a pair of scales and a six ounce weight in their pocket, and when they come to a heap of stones, they weigh one or two of the largest, and if they are reasonably about that weight they will do; it is impossible to make them come exactly to it. I would beg leave to say, in all cases of laying new materials upon an old road, I recommend loosening the surface with a pickaxe a very little, so as to allow the new materials to unite with the old, otherwise the new materials being laid on the hard surface never unite, but get kicked about, and are lost to the roads; wherever new materials are to be put down upon an old road, I recommend a little loosening; but that I don't call lifting.

Have you stated what thickness of new materials you would lay down on an old road?—I should consider an old road would not want new materials if it had ten inches of materials before, but I should only pick up the materials, and break the large stones; and if there were any want of materials, I would lay on as much as would bring it up to somewhere about the ten inches.