History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

16&4.] SPECIAL MUNICIPAL REGULATIONS. 165
specify at every point, the width of these roads, which
were to vary from two rods, in the meadows, to four, six,
eight, twenty, and in some places forty rods.'
The Cart the Prin- At that pcriod the best roads were rongh
cipai Vehicle of
g^Yi([ uneven, little else than ruts or tracks
Transportation. „ ,
• i ,
i n i i i
tor carts, scarcely any other wheeled vehicles
being then in use. Few streams were bridged, and many
times fording was difficult, if not dangerous. The country
rate, paid in wheat, had to be carted to Hartford, and thence
shipped to Boston. No boats were in use above Hartford
for many years. Everything brought into town, as well as
everything taken out of it, had to be carried in these
clumsy vehicles or on horseback. Both Northampton and
Hadley carted their grain to Hartford or Windsor. In
1664, the town agreed
" y* what the Cuntry pay shall fall short in paying for the Carteing
downe the Cuntry Rate to Hartford for this yeere y' the Towiie will
beare an equall charge according to each man proportion in Towne
rate, that noe man may be burdened by Carteing or otherwise by rea-
son of y" price of Corne."'
Burning the Woods. In Order to prcvcut the growtli of underbrush,
so that there might be no hindrance
to the pursuit of game, the Indians were accustomed to
burn the woods annually. It was done both in the spring
and fall of the year. By this means the weaker trees were
destroyed, and the more vigorous, occasionally remaining
in groups, gave the country a park-like appearance. So
free were the forests of undergrowth during the sixty years
following the first settlement of the town, that they were
penetrable in every direction for horsemen. On this
burned over land, the grass grew rapidly in the spring,
where the trees were few, affording excellent pasturage.
The first planters adopted this Indian custom, systematized
it, and brought it under the regulation of the law. Indis-
1 " These were the first county roads in Hampshire. They followed the ways previously
used by the early settlers. These three towns maintained for some years
two roads near forty miles each from Hadley and Northampton to Connecticut line,
which was then supposed to be south of the present north line of Windsor. Northampton
and Hadley sent men and perhaps teams, to repair roads where Suffleld now
is. They were complained of in September, 1668, for defective way between Waranoke
and Windsor. They amended the defects and were discharged in March, 1669,
on paying the recorder's fees.' The large streams, Chickopee, Manhan, Waranoke,
and others had no bridges."—Judd's History of Hadley, p. 44.
,