The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-08-11

three two-inch holes in each slab, as
shown in drawing; connect the Slabs
facing the same direction, with three
stakes or mounded three-by -threes
long enough to: leave three feet of
space between the slabs after the con.
Meeting pieces have been driven into
the holes. Two or three planks can
be nailed to these pieces, affording a
place for the driver to stand, and, at
the same time, strengthening the drag
Use chain or strong rope for at.
! tachment to the doubletree. Suppos.
ing the drag to face west, and assum
ing that chain is used, fasten one
end of the chain to or around the left
hand outside connecting brace, let
ting the chain pass over the top OF
the slab. If attached to the face OF
the slab near the left-hand end, the
chain would interfere with the move
ment of dirt toward that end of the
drag. The drag is run at an angle of
about As degrees, so that dirt can be
thrown toward one side. The other
end Of the chain must be fastened to
the face of the front slab near where
the right-hand connecting piece comes
through, and not around the connect.
ing piece as it is in the Illustration.
Shoe about three feet of the bottom
edge (right-hand side) of the front
slab with a piece of iron or steel OF
the right length, about three inches
wide and half inch thick, with one
edge sharp or beveled. Put it on Sc.
curely, letting the sharp edge project
about half an inch below the edges OF
the slab: This shoe will enable the
drag better to shave the surface and
cut down the hard ridges which are.
usually met with on roads that have
not been, kept smooth. A good drag
will cost from almost nothing to $3.50.
depending on the material and con-
struction, and last five or ten years.
Anybody can make one.
Roads should be dragged ten OF
IL times a year. The time is after
each soaking rain, so that the drag
will form smooth mud coat on the
surface. When the frost is leaving
| the ground is an excellent time; the
drag should be in use from then until
winter. The work does not interfere
with Nordinary farming operations, as
when it is the right time to drag the
soil is too wet or the conditions un.
suited for many kinds of field work
It is difficult to invent good excuse
for not dragging. Used at the right
time and with proper frequency 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 a sort Of she'll or casing over the
surface which will shed water like a
roof, and by distributing travel over
the, entire area instead of conf1ning
it to: the center, the shell will con.
stantly increase in solidity..,. At the
outset, dragging cannot 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 i boy and
farm team can operate this drag. .=F, - :
81: If you don't want TO- attend to drag
ging your own part OF the road, chip
| in q trifie with others and hire some
neighbcr who will do the work regu.
larly at the proper times. Don't be
disturbed 4 your. road doesd't reach
perfection the first year. Keep ever
slasttnsl atzit,, and later On you win
Ia g1ad. :1