The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1906-02-02
GRADERS FOR ROADS
POINTS ON MAKING GOOD USE OF
THE MACHINES.


In Use as Soon as the Ground lis
Dry--Best Way to Work the Horses.
The grading machine Is unquestiona-
bly, the 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 necessity IN every |
township where good roads are being
constructed. BY their use the cost OF
grading the roads Is greatly reduced
and a great improvement in the max
ing and repair of roads is effected.
They are of greatest value In town
ships where gravel and broken stone
are not to be had and dependence must
be placed on earth roads. At the same
time they are nolle the less a necessity
In the construction AID repair or gravei
and broken stone roads, and even
among stumps and stones when proper
" handled they work in most sur
prising manner 1t Is not their use
which 1t now seems necessary to urge,
but rather there is need Of guarding
| against their misuse.
A matter Of first Importance In max
ing good use Of a grader Is to plan the
seasons work in advance. The town
shin 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
| the year and determine what grading
| k 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
It commences In the spring should pro-
seed to each piece of work consecutive
" and should be In use continuously
until the grading Is done for that year.
In some townships 1t Is customary
for the grading machines to go here
and there over the township without
method-one day on one side or 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 or the
township to another By following a
well considered schedule the cost Of
moving the machine between different
pieces of work Ia reduced to a 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 It's 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-
fic. and they will remain In their best
condition all summer. If the work Is
S left until late in the season clay soils
i. become baked and hardened, difficult
:, to handle and rough when finished
. Sandy soils IL loosened up late In the
u year will be much more dusty than II
5 treated early In the spring, when they
n are damp and readily compacted by
/ traffic.
4 One of the first essentials in provid
I ing that the roads will be properly
graded Is to select the right man tt
= operate the grader. He should be &C
tive and energetic, with some mechan
ical experience, one who will take ar
interest in his work, who will make E
> study Of roadmaking and who will bt
, willing to follow the instructions giver
him by the township road commission
d er or councillor having supervision Of
|. the work. When such man Is foun(
r he should be engaged from year II
year, so that his growing experience
will render him more efficient.
The same horses should be used II
;, operating the grader for an entire sea
4, son at least. Green" horses are yer.
awkward, will not pull together, vast
- much time, and even a reliable man a
operator cannot under such circum
stances perform good work. Horse
used continuously become accustomed
" to the work, to each other, to the drive
Z and will produce much better results.
Some townships instead of horses us
traction engine for certain work
Where one can be rented from loca
thrasher it can usually be obtaine
very cheaply in the early part Of tn
year. Where a considerable stretc
has to be graded without turning, as
cutting off the shoulders of old grave
roads, q traction engine Is much pre-
cradle to horses. 1t Is more steady.
The township regulations as to th
]. width and dimensions Of the roa
should be closely followed in grading
These generally provide for width {
twenty-four feet between the insid
. edges Of the open drains on roads {
s. greatest travel. twenty feet on roads {
lie moderate travel and eighteen feet O
H. roads Of least travel A rise of frol
r. one-half an inch to one inch to the fot
r from the inside edge OF the drain to tt
a eenter Of the road is ample crown for
~ new road after the gravel or stone ha
been placed on It. More than this
W unnecessary and an injury. There Is
7o tendency in the use Of graders
ID crown roads excessively, and tn