Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-01-18
GRADERS FOR ROADS
POINTS ON MAKING GOOD USE or
THE MACHINES

In Use as Soon as the Ground Is
Dry-Best Way to work the Horses.
The grading machine is unquestiona-
bly, tile most generally useful Of mod
ern roadmaking implements on roads
of the class being built in Ontario, says
the commissioner Of highways in Onta-
rio. Canada. in his ninth annual report.
A road grader Is a necessity IN every
township where good roads are being
constructed. BY their use the cost of
grading the roads is greatly reduced
and great Improvement in the max
ing and repair of roads Is erected.
They are of greatest value IN town
sblps where gravel and broken stone
are not to be had and dependence must
no placed on earth roads. At the same
time they are none the less a necessity
in the construction and repair OF gravel
and broken stone roads, ana even
among stumps and stones when proper
" handled they work in most sur
prising manner 1t Is not their use
which It now seems necessary to urge,
Int rather there Is need of guarding
against their misuse.
A matte lc first Importance in max
ing good use of grader Is to plan the
seasons work in advance. The town
ship road commissioners, councillors or
a committee Of the council, according
to the local system of road manage
ment. should go over the roads early in
yt-ho ding
is required. This work should be stalk
ed out according to the definite width
and dimensions of roads as required by
township regulations. The grader when
1t commences in the spring should pro-
coed to each piece of work consecutive
IL and should be in use continuously
until the grading is done for that year
In some townships it Is customary
for the grading machines to go here
and there over the township without
method-one day on one side of the
township. next day on the opposite
side, then to another distant part,
backward and forward wasting con-
siderable part Of the wages Of men and
teams in moving from one part of the
township to another. BY following
well considered schedule the cost of
moving the machine between different
pieces Of work is reduced to mini
mum,
Arrangements should be made every
spring to have the grader in use as
soon as the ground is sufficiently dry
The soil is then in its best condition for
manipulation, having been mellowed
by frost. The roads are rough and
most in need of treatment Roads
which are properly graded early in
spring are at once Compacted by traf-
flc, and they will remain in their best
condition al summer. If the work is
left until late in the season clay soils
become baked and hardened, difficult
to handle and rough when finished.
Sandy soils If loosened up late in the
year will be much more dusty than if
treated early in the spring, when they
are damp and readily compacted by
traffic
One of the first essentials in provid
ing that the roads will be properly
graded IS to select the right man to
operate the grader He should be ac-
tive and energetic with some mechan-
zeal experience, one who will take an
interest in his work, who will make
study of roadmaking and who will be
willing to follow the instructions given
him Ivy the township road commission
er or councillor having supervision of
the work. When such Il man IS found
he, should he engaged from year to
year SO that his growing experience
will render him more efficient.
The same horses should be used in
operating The grader for an entire sea-
son at least Green" horses are very
awkward, will not pull together, waste
much time, and even reliable man as
operator cannot under such circum-
stances perform good work. Horses
used continuously become accustomed
to the work, TO each other to the driver
and viii produce much better results.
Some townships instead Of horses use
Il traction engine for certain work.
Where one can he rented from Il local
thrasher il can usually he obtained
very chcaply Il the early part of the
year. Where Il considerable stretch
has to be graded without turning rs in
cutting Off the shoulders of old gravel
roads. Il traction engine is much pref
erablc TO horses. 1t is more steady.
The township regulations as to the
width and dimensions of the road
should be closely followed in grading.
These generally provide for width of
twenty -four feet between the inside
edges Of the open drains on roads of
greatest travel, twenty feet on roads of
moderate travel ana eighteen feet on
roads of least travel \ rise of from
onc-half an inch to one inch to the foot
from the inside edge of the drain TO the
center OF the road il ample crown for
new road after the gravel or stone has
been placed ON IT, More than this is
unnecessary and an injury. There Is a
tendency in to- use Of graders to
crown roads excessively, ana this
should he guarded against,
Whore Gravel Dr Gfapn IL rnp11luVII