THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

i9

centres of the province, especially in the Montreal, Quebec and Sherbrooke
districts. It includes fifty-one arteries offering ample facilities for reaching
any desired point. The improvement of the secondary system is proceeding
 rapidly to completion.

TaIrRD CrLAss ROADS, not generally used by tourists, are chiefly maintained
 for local traffic as earth roads. Their present total length is 17,396
miles, of which about 12,000 miles have been thoroughly graded and 1,200
miles have been surfaced with macadam or with gravel.
Of the total length of the three classes, 10,531 miles have been permanently
 improved during the past seventeen years as gravel, macadam
and concrete highways, constituting a compact network of good roads,
of which the province mav well be proud.

STATEMENT OF IMPROVED RURAL Roaps To DECEMBER 1, 1928
8,276-33 miles
332-21 «
449-49
128-15
wn "7 “
vl 1”

Gravel........c viii
Sand-clay..........
Macadam.................
Bituminous macadam. . ..
Cement concrete. .......
Bituminous concrete. .

Total lencth.....

10 520-76

Maintenance.—Improved roads in Quebec are reliable at all times
and can always be depended on by the travelling public. The Quebec
Roads Department maintains the roads to the highest standard of excellence.
 Under the existing law, all improved roads of the three classes
are maintained directly by the Roads Department wholly at the expense
of the Government. The care of these roads involves an annual expenditure
 of $6,000,000, and, in addition over $3,000,000 is spent annually
on new construction. Tree planting has grown in importance annually.
More than 160,000 trees have been planted on main and secondary highways
 since 1922.
"CLIMATE

Extending over such a large area as that comprised within the 45th
and 65th parallels of north latitude, Quebec has a considerable variety
of climate. The same area in Europe would extend from northern Italy
to the White sea. The settled portions of the province, however, do not
Present markedly noticeable contrasts of climate. In the newly opened
colonization areas such as Abitibi and lake St. John, a greater degree of
sunlight is enjoyed in the growing season, by reason of the northern latitude,
than in the more southern and older settled areas of the St. Lawrence
valley, The clearing of forests has also a marked effect in ameliorating
the climate and tends to prevent unseasonable frosts.
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