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 pro- 
ceeding rapidly to completion. 
TaIrRD CrLAss ROADS, not generally used by tourists, are chiefly main- 
tained 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 per- 
manently 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 excel- 
lence. 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 expen- 
diture 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 high- 
ways 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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