The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-07-27


men interested in this movement:
Keeping the roads in condition so
that school and church privileges
may be enjoyed; keeping the boys in
touch with a certain amount of social
life SO that they will not wish to leave
the farm, and keeping the roadspass-
able for work and heavy hauling so
that good markets may be taken ad-
vantage of, and work done at a time
when it will count most and be ac-
complished at minimum of time,
toll and expense.
From the outset of this work, SO
many questions have poured in on me
indicating points concerning which
the public is prone to go astray in it's
understanding of how to build and
use the split-log drag that Ihavepre-
{ pared the following road-dragging
"catechism" as covering, with fair
completeness. the main working facts
in the problem:
Would it not be better to pillow the
road before dragging?
No. Flowing gives a soft founda
ton. Flowing the middle OF the road
is a relic OF the old dump-scraper
days.
What do you do when there are
deep ruts in the road?
Drag them. If you drag when the
surface is quite loose and soft, you
will be surprised how soon the ruts
disappear.
How do you get the dirt to the
middle of the road?
By hauling the drag slantwise with
the end that is toward the center OF
the road a little to the rear Of the
other end.
But suppose the road is too mar
row?
First drag the wheel tracks. After
three or four rains or wet spells, pillow
shallow furrow just outside the
dragged part. Spread this over the
road with drag. Only pillow one
furrow. You may pillow another fur
row after the next rain. At each
blowing you widen the roadbed two
feet.
How many horses do you use?
Two, generally; three if it is just as
handy; four when breaking colts-a
good solid team in the center and q
colt on each side; two men OF the
drag-one to drive, and the other to
control the colts.
How do you drain the road?
If the earth is pushed in the middle
Of the road continually, the road will
drain itself.
Why not make the drag out of
plank?
You can, and do good work, but
the split log is best. The plank drag
is not so stiff.
Why not make the drag of heavy
sawed timber?
Because drags so made have ten
dency to slip over the bumps.
Don't you grade up the road first?
No. The grading is, done with the
drag, gradually. By so doing, the
road is solid all the time and is built
on solid foundation.
What does it cost to drag mile of
road year?
The cost is variously estimated at
from one to three dollars.
How do you keep the drag from
lodging around sidewise?
By not loading it too heavily. If
drag lodges around the earth you
are moving, it is because it is over
loaded.
Will the dragged road stand heavy
hauling?
Yes and no. A dragged road will
stand more heavy hauling than an
undragged road, but not so much as
a macadamized or well-kept gravel
road
Will a drag help sand road?
A sand road is a very different
proposition from the black soil, clay
or gumbo. An entirely different meth
cd must be adopted. Three things
may be done to a sand road to make
it better: First, keep it wet; second,
haul clay on to it; third, sprinkle it
with crude oil, as they do in Califor-
MIA and in some parts of Southern
Kansas and Texas. The drag will
be benefcialin keeping the sand road
perfectly fat so that it will absorb
moisture and retain it a long time.