red in August.

In the early spring days the gutters were cleaned out thoroughly. The
road patching was quite a different matter. These country roads, like
those of many places, were just dirt roads. Now earth is poor material
for road construction. But if drainage is properly looked out for, and
the earth road is smooth from rolling, earth roads make, after all, fine
roads for summer travel.

It was suggested that rock be filled in, and the earth over this. But
when the boys considered how deep cuts would be formed in such a mend by
wagon wheels, this was given up. Then it was decided to fill in with
layers of rock mass. Myron brought a load of slate for this purpose. But
slate, while it makes a smooth road, does not stand wet weather well. So
Myron had to return his slate to the road-side bed from which he had
taken it. Then The Chief told the children briefly about road materials;
how soft limestone makes too weak roads for loads, how easily they wash
and wear; how granite, because of its being made up of several
materials, is poor, too; how flint and quartz, while hard, are brittle,
and are not sufficiently tough; and that sandstone was impossible. Then
he told them that good gravel, tough limestone and trap-rock were good
road materials. Roads need materials having hardness, toughness and
cementing qualities.

By taking a trip to a gravel bed, some three miles out of town, the boys
were able to get gravel for their patchwork. They did not merely fill
in the breaks but dug out the road bed straight across wherever a break
occurred until they came to good road. Coarse gravel was put at the
bottom up to six inches of the top surface. This was packed down and
rolled. At the same time it was watered until mud rose or flushed over