The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-05-22

ne PIOUIcIu given ~ Lie S01I or
dirt road. 1T is worked" OCCASION
ally BY being ploughed on each side
and the loose dirt thrown up toward
the middle making more or less
symmetrical oval sloping to the ditch
Ion either side. In good weather
when the rains are not frequent or
heavy the ruts will be cut down by
wagon traffic. In rainy weather
and in the spring and fall the ruts
are full of water and the mud holes
are worn into the surface and made
deeper by every new wagon track.
| The water that makes mudholes is
held in by the bottom and sides of
dryer earth or a frozen surface. IF
1 the water can run off it will do so.
The problem then is to make a
smooth surface so that the water
will run off. Then of course there
will be no mudhole.
THE SOLUTION.
| The solution is the King drag
herewith illustrated. Any man or
boy can make drag in less than
two hours. Get log, eight feet
long and twelve inches in diameter.
Split in halves. Bore three tWo-inch
holes in each half one at each end.
and one in the middle. Join the
halves, split sides forward. with
good strong braces, about three feet
long; wedge them in securely. If a
log is not handy, use a twelve inch
plank. Reinforce the back with a
2x6. A loose plank on which to
ride, is placed across the braces
Wrap one end Of the chain around
an end stake. carry it over the top
of the slab, out to the double-trses,
and then back to the other end sof
the slab where it should be fastened
BY poking an old bolt or spike
thru one of the links into q hole
bored three or four inches fEoln
the end of the slab and aboueits
center, up and down. Hitch up and
drag at an angle Of forty-fve de-
grees and you will be surprised at
the results.
HOW TO USE THE DRAG.
First make the drag, and have q
four horse evener ready for lse fire
first time. Wait until you Ids
are very soft. the wetter ard softer
the better. Then attach foiF horses;
straddle the right-hand sat and be-
gin to drag. Then turn and come
back along the other rut. Don't
harry; drive slowly; the slower sfe
better. The effect of this first drag
|ging will be to fill up the ruts, and
to make a moderately smooth sur
face on which it is possible to make
three tracks one on each side, and
one where the old track used to be.
This smooth surface will shed water
partially at least, and will give free
access to the sun and wind. causing
/ it to dry off quicker than the rough
surface on either side of the
smoothed space. When it begins to
dry off, take two horses and go over
the same track again. This will still
further puddle the clay and carry a
little more into the middle of the
road which every team will both
puddle and compact still more. If
you wish to widen the road, wait
until after another rain, and then
when it has dried off sufficiently to
pillow readily plow one furrow along
the outer mark of the drag, take
/ the drag and spread this smoothly
over the surface of the road. In
this way the road will be widened
by the width of the furrow and will
gradully become oval; that is, high
er in the middle, and each time the
drag is used will become little
smoother and a little harder. If
the road is still narrow, pillow an
other furrow, and so on, until the
road has been widened as much as
you wish.
DoNT'S.
Don't drive too fast.
/ Don't walk, get on the drag and
ride.
Don't wait for your neighbors to
take hold: thew may be waiting for
Eyou
Don't wait for the big grader to