The Republican journal., 1906-05-03
THE KING ROAD DRAG.

In his recent address here State Road
Commissioner Sargent commended the
device of western man, known as the
King road drag, for use on clay or dirt
roads. We endeavored to get cut of
this drag, but failed, and give below a
circular issued by F. d. Coburn, secre-
tary of the Kansas department of agri-
culture. Mr.. Coburn says of the King
road drag:
"Try it for year; get your neighbors
to do the same; see how simple and in
expensive il all is and if it isn't one of
the wiseSt investments you ever made.
This tells you how:
"rhe drag may be made of log say s
feet long and II inches through, split in
the middle, or of two pieces of sawed
oak. or other substantial wood, 2xS
inches. After the log is split, giving
two hat-faced slabs, bore three pinch
holes in each slab, connect the slabs,
facing the same direction, with three
stakes or rounded three by-threeS long
enough to leave three feet of space be-
tween the slabs after the connecting
pieces have been driven into the holes.
Two or three plankS can be nailed to
these pieces affording place for the
driver to stand, and, at the same time
strengthen the drag. Use chain or
strong rope for attachment to the
doubletree. Surprising the drag to face
the west, and assuming that chain is
used, fasten one end of the chain to or
around the lefthand outside connecting
brace, letting the chain pass over the
top of the slab. If attached to the back
of the slab near the left hand end the
chain would interfere with the move
ment of the dirt toward that end of the
drag. The drag is run at an angle of
of about forty-ive degrees, 50 that the
dirt can be thrown toward one side.
The other end of the chain must be fas-
tened to the face of the front slab near
where the right hand connecting piece
comes through, and not around the con-
Meeting piece. Shoe about three
feet of the bottom edge fright
hand side of the front slab with
a piece of iron or steel of the right
length, about three inches wide and a
half inch thick, with one edge sharp or
beveled. Put it on securely. letting the
sharp edge project over about half an
inch below the edge of the slab, This
slab VIII enable the drag better to shave
ridges which are usually met with ON
roads that have not been kept smooth.
4 good drag will cost from almost moth
ing to $3.50, depending on the material
and construction and last five or ten
years. Anybody can make one.
Roads should be dragged ten or
twelve times a year. The time is af-
ter each soaking rain, 50 that the drag
will form a smooth mud coat on the
surface. When the frost is leaving the
ground is an excellent time; the drag
should be in use then until winter.
The work does not interfere With Ordl-
nary farming operations, as when 1t Is
the right time to drag, the soil is too
wet, or the conditions unSuited for
field work II is difficult to invent a
good excuse for not dragging. Used at
the right time and with proper fire.
quency on practically all types of corn
belt soils and those of the clayey or
rolling sections, the drag will make
roads smooth, hard and conveX,-the
three fundamental characteristics of
an ideal dirt road. The process will
/ form sort of shell or casing over the
surface which will shed water like d
roof and by distributing travel over
the entire area, instead of combining it
to the center, the shell Will constantly
increase in solidity. At the outset
dragging can not be done SO rapidly as
when the road has been shaped up by
several sweeps of the drag; after this
preliminary work, the job can be done
in half the time originally required
Any boy and farm team can operate
the drag
eff you don't want to attend to drag
ging your own part of the road, chip in
tritle with Others and hire some neigh
Dor who will do the work regularly at
the proper times. Don't be disturbed
if your road doesn't reach perfection
the first year. Keep everlastingly at it.
and later on you will be glad.