The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-04-26

Ssing them exclusively bereAftsr In max
ins and repairing dirt stresu and roads
Ths doctrine ~ preached By NJ. klss
10 simplicity itself. Here are some ~
tracts from one Of his recent tslks u
prospective rcsd.maksrs.
aThs most difiicalt part Of road drAxg'
lag 10 getting st IL. Al lbe resi 10 %
simple that one learns it In doing II. The
nra soliccabis fec, 10 the smoothing oi
the road service, ard this In time allows
the rain and snow water 10 dow Oh sId en-
courage the distribution Of travel over The
road from side to sids.
,arsaus usually fellow tho beaten tran.
Dragging destroys the old trail, and the
new trail, each time broader, and 90 fast
have the tickets been sold, and less definite
than before, 10 made on . different portion
Of the highway. By draxsing while the
earth 10 yet moist, the road hnslly becomes
9 series Of practically waterproof layers OF
puddled earth. each one Of which 10 rolled
and pounded by the wheels Ard hocfs OF
travel. Almost inpercertib'y the center
81 the road 10 elevated to . smooth grade
that 10 not easily sfiected BY bad weather
"Drsgsing kills the weeds In the seed
leaf. II also dosa away with the bumps
At each side Of the bridges and culyerts.
Regular dragging fills them and they be-
came 40 solid ~ the rest Of the road. Al
the wheel tracks are wiped out the water
does not run to the bridge after every
shower, so you can drive ~ swiftly over
the culverts a. over any other portion OF
The road.
"At drst yeu will have to drag when
part Of the road 10 too wet. But After
4 while IL will dry evenly and the first
few times you drag it will be better for
,ou to merely drive down one wheel track
and back the other, moving the dirt to-
yard the center Of the wagon track.
Gradually widen ~ you get . chance
This will give solid foundation. II the
wagon track 10 st the side Of the highwa,
begin right thsre. The rest will follow
IN time. Don't be 10 4 hurry. Remember
you cannot successfully make fine crop
by plowing the corn four times day
First, make drag; second, use IL every
time you can improve the road BY drag.
sing.
1.-The bitch is next In importance to the
time in which the dragging Ia done. The'
right time is just after the road dries after
rain or when It is thawed on top during
.he winter and spring, and 1t should be
dragged every time.
"Of course, q smooth surface for travel
10 thus produced but . more valuable re-
suit is that the road will shed the next
rain instead Of absorbing II. This 10 the
rsason why the road should be dragged
every time, 80 that 1t will always be ready
for the sext rain"
Mr.. King never loses an opportunity to
instruct his hearers that an expensive,
complicated drag 10 unnecessary. Here ia
bit Of personal experience;
"Nor 10 an irsn.iaced Instrument abso.
lutely necessary. began with drag In
February, March or April, the drag being
made Of an old pump-post and 3 frost.
bitten log, held together by two or three
short pieces Of board nailed on top. "
pulled to pieces at the beginning Of the
second year, and 1t fret simply drove a
team straddle Of one wheel track going and
II the other wheel track coming bacl
merely breaking the rim Of earth that rissa
IN each side Of the wheel track and leay
ing the road in good condition for team
sters to 'staddle the rut. After smashing
both ruts, remember used to look back
iown the road approvingly, pat myself on
Inc back and think had the incest road
10 the country, and while did have 1t at
the time, yet 1t would look very rough to
me at present."
There 10 no man better known among
thankful Iowa farmers today than d
Ward King OF Maitland. "His work 10 Of
far more importance than preaching the
gospel Of seed.corn selection declares .
noted agricultural expert. "Without good
roads the farmer 10 stranded. With good
roads he can control the market and gel
the prices. without them he may have
mad record-breaking crop. and be p,s'.
essed OF millions, but they are hulberr,
s. Hers millions, and not tangible :"