Morris tribune., 1905-08-19
NEW ROAD MAKING.
How the So Log Drag r1ade Good
Roads i'm Iowa.

Roads in Iowa.
r. G. Cobb, resident of Iowa, il
reply to the Dry Goods Reporter TO
a description of the make and work
ings of the new-fangled road-makine
machine, wrote as follows:
The farmers of our county, our ci
ty street commissioner, and many
of our citizens are using the new me
thod with splendid results. In fact
we have stretches Of country roads in
our country varying in lengths from
one-half to four miles in length, that
are better than our city's asphalt paw
ing, and we have first-class job
This is the first season the me.
thod has been in use. Our farmers
are becoming interested, and we
hope by another year to have the
roads Of our country in first class
condition.
A good earth road must be hard,
smooth and oval. The old method OF
working the roads with the big four
wheeled road-grader makes the road
oval, smooth on the sides only, soft
and spongy in the center. The grad
er pushes the soft, loose dirt to the
center of the road. This absorbs the
water from the first rain. Travel cuts
it up. 1t drys full of ruts and very
rough, in worse condition than it was
than it was before the grader was
used.
The new method dragging with a
King road drag after rain-makes the
road smooth, it dries hard and is ov-
al. Use the drag after each hard
rain while the surface dirt is in a
puddled condition. The drag will
smear the soft mud over the top of
tie road bed in layer; with sum
shine, wind and travel, this layer will
become hard, Another dragging will
put on another and make the road
still harder, smoother and more i'm
pervious to rain. In year or two
surface is put on road that can
hardly be torn up with a pick. The
more travel. the harder the road.
The more rain the smoother the road.
With the old method, when the graC-
er is used. the more rain and travel,
the deeper the ruts and the roughef
the road. The drag works as we'll on
the hills as on the low ground, as
we'll in clay soil IS in black earth.
The expense of running the four
wheeled grader is from nine to
twelve dollars day; 1t takes six or
eight horses and from three to four
men. The King drag can be opera
ted by boy with two horses. The
grader can only be used whan the
roads are dry, time when farmers
have work to do on the farm. With
the King drag the best results are
had when it is too wet to work on the
farm. From one-half to one hours
work after rain will keep one-half
mile of road in splendid condition.
Hitch to the drag so that it will pull
at an angle of forty-fve degrees.
Drive slow. Ride. don't walk. You
can change the position of the drag
by changing your position on the
drag. Don't try to move too much
dirt.
The secret of SUCCESS is to do a
little often. Don't pillow before drag
ging-plowing gives soft founda
tor. Never mind the ruts. Go
ahead and drag; they will disappear.
Don't let the children ride on the
drag; it might hit a snag and turn
over. Use the drag to keep the barn
yard clean of cobs and all refuse. 1t
can be used for a stone boat. It
makes splendid tool 10 grade the
lawn with. In fact, if a farm
er will take time to make drag and
use it he will wonder how he ever got
along without it. Any man or boy
can make it in less than two hours.
Split an eight foot log twelve inch
IS in diameter in halves, bore three i
5wo-inch holes in each half, one at
sach end and one in the middle; Join
he halves, split sides forward, with
good strong braces about three feet
ong, wedge them in securely. :.