Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-07-26

per mile year!
Wisconsin farmers. wake up
And this end may be attained by
simply hauling cheap device up and
down the road after each rain. The
process mocrates, or puddles, the dirt,
which becomes smooth, is baked hard,
and there you have
A model dirt road The Missouri
state board Of agriculture has issued
bulletin--fifth edition-dealing with
the matter,-and the evidence it
brings is conclusive, convincing.
On sand roads the dragging of
course Is of little or no benefit, but
on those heart-breaking, wagon ruin
ing, horse-racking clay highways
far and away the worst of all-the re-
suits are officially reported to be
simply wonderful.
To Make a Drag.
THE most common mistakes that
see as | go about" says ID. Ward
King, the discoverer of the process,
ARE: First, making the drag too big
and heavy, and, second, using tim
bers with too wide a face on the
ground
THE split-log drag.-Take the two
halves of a split log, ten or twelve
inches thick and seven to nine feet
long Set the HAYES fat sides to the
front, .fasten thirty inches apart with
strong stakes, the ends OF which are
wedged In twoinch auger holes, bored
through the slabs. Put solid plank
platform on the stakes for the driver
to stand on. The hitch is made of
strong wire or chain, the long end
fastened to stake over the top of the
front slab, the short end should be
put through a hole made In center of
the slab and near the end TO prevent
the back slab fitting forward. Face
four or five feet of the ditch end of
the front slab with iron. An old
wagon tire, worn share of road grader,
or any piece of fiat steel will answer
for this purpose.
Plank drag.-The half of split
log Is without any doubt whatever.
the best shape for drag material.
have made several splendid ones from
the ends of cedar telephone poles II
forced to use plank. get elm or cy-
press, 2x12 of the proper length, and
a 2x6 OF the same length. Use the
2x6 to reinforce the 2x12 lengthwise
OF It's center, so that there will be
four Inches in thickness of the wood
through which to bore the twoinch
holes for the stakes which are to
Join the two slabs. BY this arrange.
ment of the plank the shape of the
log slab Is Appropriated.
I have seen great many drags
made in numerous different styles.
but | find nothing that suits me bet
ter than hedge, or straight oak
stakes. Money spent on long bolts
or eye bolts is wasted If the stakes
are properly wedged long bolts are
useless. Instead OF eye bolts to
fasten the chain simply wrap one end
OF the chain around an end stake, car
ny 1t over the top of the slab. out TO
the double trees and then back TO the
other end of the slab. where the chain
should be slipped through a hole
sored In the end of the slab and can
be fastened by poking an old bolt or
spike through one of the links, This
mole should be bored only three or
four inches from the end of the slab
and about its center. up and down.
This is inexpensive. strong. durable
and puts the rear end of the chain nm
out OF the way of the dirt as IT drifts
along the face OF the slab.
Perhaps You will observe that
am going quite thoroughly into
minor details. Heretofore have
concentrated all my energy on get.
ing men to take action. we have
now gained enough prestige and SUI.
ncient support from newspapers rail.
roads, commercial clubs. farmers and
state and county officers for me to
feei that may spend lutte space
prontaoly in an explanation of a few
OF the fioer points of drag making and
drag using. In fact am convinced
that such details are really needed
and demanded by the thousands who
have been dragging the roads for n
year and more.
One OF The slickest little sleights
Of drag building is the taking advau.
tage of the twist that will be found IN
splitting even straight logs. To ex.
plain IL clearly will fear be difscun,
The better mechanical mind you have
the more easily will you catch on. AZ.
ter splitting a log, when YOU place
one OF the slabs on edge with the face
OF one end plumb. the face at the
other end win not be plumb: win not
be at right anges with the floor By
selecting The proper one of the slabs
for the front OF the drag this oblioue.
ness can be used to give the ditch
end of the slab chisel-like action on
the road surface. while the other end
OF the same slab will have its face
perpendicular or plumb. This is a