The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-06
Wagons and Roads.

Correspondence Country Gentleman.
Questions connected with the draft of wa CONS
and the resistance of muddy roads, are worthy
of careful examination by the farmer who draws
hundreds of tons of farm products to market an
nually, or an equal amount of manure over his
land. The rdtarding influence of soft earth and
mud on vehicles, when compared with the ease
with which they are drawn on hard smooth
surface, is often much greater than those who
merely drive and ride imagine. This resistance
may be measured with considerable accuracy in
the following manner: Place loaded wagon on
a hard. smooth road which has just enough
descent for it to run down of its own weight.
Ascertain with a level what this de-
scent is. Suppose for example that it
is only foot in thirty this will
show that the friction or resistance of
the surface of the road is only -thirtieth of
the weight and if the loaded wagon weights
ton, force equal to one thrteth of ton, or
sixty seven pounds would be sufficient to move
it on level road Of equal slnoothness Now
apply this same reasoning to deep muddy
road bed, where the wagon will not move unless
the road has a descent Of one foot in five. A
force equal to one fifth of a ton, or four hundred
pounds. would be required to move it on a level
road as muddy, or SIX times as much as on the
smooth and hard surface. One horse on the
good road would therefore draw as heavy a load
as six horses on the muddy one.
The dynamometer gives rather more accurate
results. Experiments have been made with this
instrument furnishing the following measure
ment of forces:
On a new gravel road, not yet hardened by
use, force equal TO one eighth Of the weight of
the wagon had to be applied to draw it. On the
best hard earth road onet twenty fifth was found
sufficient One the best broken stone road, one
siXteth; while railroad force of one ton
would draw $50 tons.
The resistance on rough roads was slightly di-
mnished by steel springs on the wagon. at the
same time that comfort to the horse and driver
was increased. as well as safety to the harness
and wagon. The frmness given to a road of
broken stone by means of solid paved founda-
ton we found to lessen the resistance about one
third.
The width of wagon wheels involves some
questions which should be we'll understood.
Wheels with broad tires on a farm would pass
over a cioddy surface and not sink into it, and
would press the surface of pastures and new
meadows without cutting it. Narrow wheels
would not only cut and spoil the surface but
require great force of draught. The mud or
soft earth would close both sides of the rim,
and load the wheels. Broad wheels most
useful on tracks Of broken stone and gravel, rem
dering them smooth, hard and compact Prof.
Sanborn, of the Missouri Agricultural Col
lege has made some tests by means of
the dynamometer with tire an inch ard a-half
wide compared with a width of three inches.
The wagon to which these different widths was
attached was drawn over turf and while the
wide tire required draught Of only 80 pounds,
the narrow tire with the same load could not be
moved without force of 439 pounds The team
which could draw ton Oh the narrow wheels
would move a ton and a-half on the wide ones,
the surface being of the character of turf Pro
fessor S. also ascertained that on hard level
road the same team would draw four times as
much as a soft wet road
But these different results vary much with
various conditions. If. for instance, there is an
inch of soft mud on hard surface beneath. the
narrow tire would cut more easily through the
mud than the wide one, as both would reach the
hard surface, and the wide wheel would have to
isplace twice as much Of the mud. All these
and other conditions must be observed in prac
tice.
If the great loss which is yearly sustained by
those who have to drive ten or twenty miles
daily, or 5000 TO 5000 miles annually, over bad
roads were more distinctly understood by the
public generally, a greater interest would I'M
doubtedly be felt III the Importance of improv
ing public and private roads as eminenty a
matter of economy.