Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1908-06-05
Row 10 BUILD AND USE THE SPLIT
LOG DRAG.
office of The Public Roads OF the United
states Department of Agriculture
Issued Bulletin ON this
simple Road Building
Device

simple Road Building
One Of the latest publications issued
by the Office of Public Roads of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture treats of the split-log drag An
implement which numerous exper-
ments have conclusiyely shown to be
the greatest possible boon to keep earth
roads smooth and )assable. Because
of its simplicity. its efficiency and its
cheapness, 10th in construction. and
operation, it is destined to come more
and more into general use. With the
drag properly built and its Use we'll un-
derstood, the maintenance of earth
roads becomes simple and inexpensive
matter. At the present time there are
approximately 100000 miles of earth
roads in the United States. Some of
the most important of these roads will
eventually be improved with stone,
gravel, and other materials. Many
others which are equally important
cannot be so improved on account of
lack of funds or suitable materials,
while still others will not require such
treatment because of the light traffic to
which they are subjected. For these
reasons the majority of our roads must
be maintained as earth roads for many
years to come. This must be done by
inexpensive methods and the split-log
drag will be powerfuLaii if economy
is the criterion demanded
In the construction Of this imp le-
ment, care should be taken to make it
so light that one man can lif5 it with
ease, light drag responding more
readily to various methods of hitching
than heavy one, as well as to the
shifting of the position OF the operator,
The best material for split-log drag Is
dry red cedar log, though red elm
and walnut are excellent, and box elder
soft maple, or even willow are superior
to oak, hickory, or ash. The log should
q
10 to II inches diameter at the butt.
end. 1t should be split carefully as
near the center as possible, and the
heaviest and best slab chosen for the
front. In the front slab inches from
the end which is to drag in the middle
of the Dad bore 2-inch hole which Is
70 taI q
of % inches from the other end of the
front slab, locate the centre for another
cross stake The hole for the middle
stake will be on a line connecting and
halfway between the two. Then place
the back slab in position and from the
end which is to drag in the middle OF
the road measure so inches for the CEN
ter of one cross stake and 6 inches from
the other end locate the center of the
opposite stake. The hole for the center
stake should be located halfway be-
tween the two. All these holes should
be carefully bored perpendicular or at
right angles to the face Of the split log.
IL tuSbC ullCCtlOho alC iOlio "SN ~ VIZ
be found that when the holes of the
front and back slabs are brought oppo-
site each ether, one end of the back slab
will be 16 inches nearer the center of
the roadway than the front one. That
gives what is known as ''set back.
The stakes, which are 80 inches long,
will hold the slabs this distance apart.
When the stakes have been firmly
wedged into THAR sockets, a brace about
2 inches thick and inches wide may
be placed dIagonally to them at the
ditch end of the drag. A cleated
board is placed between the slabs and
across the stakes for the driver to stand
on.
By many it is deemed best to place a
strip of iron along the lower face of the
front slab for a cutting blade and to
prevent the drag from wearing. The
drag may be fastened to the doubletree
by means of trace chain. The chain
should be wrapped around the left
hand or rear stake and passed over the
front slab. r alsing the chain at this
end of the slab permits the ealth to
drift past the face of the drag. The