Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-05-13
HARD EARTH ROADS.

means OF securing wiser use of thi
enormous but often profitless expen.
diture of money on roads, ascends tC
heaven. In only few instances has
there been individual effort, wisely
directed, to ameliorate the conditions
1t was left to ID. Ward King, of Mis-,
souri,, to inaugurate a system of car.
ing for earth roads so that they nigh
be travelled with comfort at any
season of the year; yet so great was
the adhesive quality of farmers tc
old traditions that for four years
even with a splendid object lesson in
view, not one of his neighbors fol.
lowed suit. Then one began drag
giLg, another and another, the move
ment gaining impetus and momen-
trm, until today thou sands of miles
of earth road are being kept in good
condition, the outgrowth of one
mans persistent effort.
The Missouri State Board of Agri-
culture, hearing about the plan, sent
an expert In the worst time of the
year, and he reported, "lt would be
worth 800, 900 annually to the farm.
ers of Missouri 10 make and main
tain roads by this system" Mr.
King has been sent all over the State
explaining the process. Other States
called for him. Ohio among the
number, and go impressed were the
farmers-the best the State contains
at the Ohio State Farmers Jnsti-
tute that more than eighty have
pledged themselves to go home and
begin the work st once. In my own
community, as soon as told the
plan, the exclamation was, "How
simpltl Why didn't l think of il
before?" and several have pledged
themselves to try the plan, and one
has made his machinery-just one
week from the time the idea was
explained.
81 feel little hesitancy in show
ing you the model or telling you
what has been DONE" said Mr. King,
"for you likely will not believe me
until you try. The entire secret is
in keeping the roadbed smooth and
hard, and with sufficient elevation in
the middle, with sloping sides, to
insure good drainage. To get this
condition / use a common split-log
drag" The drag is made of light
wood, preferably of red, or "slippery''
elm. Oak is too heavy draft for the
team. The log should be about nine
feet long and ten or twelve inches
through. Face the split, or flat,
sides, place them on edge, about
thirty inches apart, and connect with
three benches, as in a sled. 1t is
better to shoe the front piece about
two-thirds of its length. The shoe
may be made from an old wagon tire.
1t should not project down more than
one-fourth of an inch. A chain or
wire fastened - to Is inches from
each end serves as hitch. Make a
light platform for the driver, but do
not fasten it TO the drag, as it is
sometimes desirable to clean out rub
bish under the platform.
Next in Importance to the drag is
the hitch. This should be so ar
ranged that the earth is worked to-
ward the centre of the road.
After each IA n OF thaw go down
one side of the road with this drag
and back the other. This is all that
is necessary. If you will observe,
you will see that as soon as a team
goes on the road it will follow the
path of other teams, and travel is all
on one piece of road. By dragging
the moist earth is evenly distributed
over the entire surface, and there is
no inducement for teams to follow
one track instead of another. Drag
ging gives a smooth surface, and the
elevation of the centre aids lii drain
age. Instead of the moist earth being
churned into puddle, really water
tight mi xture along a narrow track
10 pounded and cemented together
oyer the entire surface. Dragging
after each rain or thaw is really a
preparation of smooth, hard, ele.
waited surface that will quickly shed
the next rain. Some go so far as to
drag before rain, and this is a good
plan if one will keep it up, as it gives
smooth surface, from which the
water will quickly drain or be evap-
GRATED, But do not neglect to drag
after every rain.
Mr.. King said that fully 995 per
cent. Of the roads of Missouri are of
clay SOIL and that it will be many
years before even the main thorough
fares are piked or macadamized. He
favors the building of hard roads as
public sentiment and finances per-
NIT, but in the meantime the hard
earth road, kept hard and smooth by
dragging, is the cheapest and most
feasible means of main tanning roads
in fit condition for travel the year
iound. The hard earth road is a con-
Meeting link between the old mud
road and macadamized loads. Mr..
King favors organized effort after
people have become aroused TO the
possibilities of dragging. In the
meantime one object lesson is of as
much value as q dozen sermons.
ait takes bat twenty minutes for
me to drag the road between my
house and my neighbor's, half mile
away. / do not have to go to town
many times to make up the cost in
time," said Mr.. King. He insisted
upon the value of individual effort.
When asked if the road planer would
not do the work, he replied that 1t
would, but the objections were that
it cannot be at all places in the road
district at once, that it takes several
teams and men and a supervisor to
operate it, and consequently the
chances are that the road will not be
dragged. Whereas, if each farmer
m a u "a IN hio h,, os \, aao - 1oox. - 49,