The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-03-12
r. F. D. DEPARTMENT.
Address all communications to
rlos. L. Wicker, editor.

Deep ruts that look like bitches, deep
holes that make you feel as though
!: you were falling into a well every
time your buggy, wheel drops into one,
painting horse and fretted driver
and all for lack Of good King Drag.
, The King road drag is no longer an
experiment. 1t has proved it's worth
and has made good in every instance
where it has been given fair trial
Yet in spite of this there are old
wags among us who shake their heads
and say it wont work. 1t is strange
that even men o" high order of in
teligcnce should fail to see and un-
dcrstand the very simple reason why
this device can do all that is claimed
for it. Now lets reason together lit
tel. The log is made by splitting a
log ten or twelve inches thick and
placing the two pieces about 80 inches
apart with the flat sides facing in the
same direction. a chain is fastened
to it and the horses hitchcd to it in
a way to angle it and draw the dirt
towards the centre Of the road. This
will raise The middle Of the road, not
all at once Of course, but gradually
so that rain fallin" upon the road
will run off into the side bitches in
stead of standing in the middle of
the road and making mudholes. The
drag is to be used after wet spell
or when the road is wet from rain.
The deep ruts are thus dragged shut,
the holes filled up and hard smooth
surface produced over which it is a
! pleasure to travel. a kind of hard
crust is formed over the road which
grows thicker and harder after ev-
cry dragging. Now why is this the
case? Here is where our wags stumble
and beg for light. 1t is fact known
to all farmers that if land is plowcd
when il is wet il hard crust will form
on the surface and the clods' thus
| formed in the sprin" will roll about
almost all the year. The same prin-
ciple applies to the road. If you pull
Il drag over it when it is wet the fine
particles of dust forms sort Of paste
that cemcnts the larger particles to-
~cthcr and when the SUI shines and
the wind blows upon the surface thus
treated YOU have road covered with
a cake of motar that is hard and
durable.
Every ncighborhood ought to have
n drag. 1t is cheap and simple in
construction and the time to operate
it to thc best ADVANTAGE is RIGHT af-
ter Il rain when it is TOO wet for Won
to do anything else. We wish to
urge upon the people Of the county
the great Importance of this very
simple device in improving the con-
dition Of our roads and we are going
to insist that the supervisor follow
out the recommendation Of the grand
6ury at the last term of court to
have at least twelve of these lrags in
operation in different sections of the
county>by the end Of the year.
We herewith append clipping
from paper which describes the
drag in detail.
How to Make King Split-Log Drag.
After several years trial, it has
been developed that the best kind of
a drag is made by splitting a log and
placing the pieces about thirty inches
apart, with the flat sides both facing
in thc same direction and pinning
them together. The kind of wood us
cd Is not vitality important: any kind
"f light timber will do. It is better
not to use oak. Mr.. King says that
the best split-lo" drag he ever used
was made Of red elm. The lower edge
Of the front piece should be protected
with iron and wagon tire will an
swer for this purpose. The log should
be ten or twelve inches thick and per-
hapS nine feet long. 4 chain or heavy
wire is fastened three or four inches
from the right-hand side and about
half way up. 1t is then carried to the
front till it is about two feet away
from the drag, then to the left and
over the top Of the front slab and
Fastened around the crossbar. Tho
team should be hitched so that the
drag will move the dirt to the cente,
,, of the road. The Importance of hitch
ing up properly cannot be overesti
: mated, as it is only second in import
: ance tothe time at which the dragging
Is done. The road should be dragged
= after every ,unt snnll hnnn,no l.