The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-10-01
FURNACE STAG AND "CANDY"
ROADS LATEST NOVERTIES.

Uniquely interesting are a number
of the expe riments now being conduct
ed by the Office of Public Roads OF the
United States Department of Agr1cul-
ture: one being the effort to build a
dustproof road by combining the mere
tofore little used blast furnace Stag
with asphalt or tar
This endeavor is of the utmost eco
nomic importance, because IL tne
hoped-for success is attained, insight
" mountains of Stag will soon dlsap:
near from the vicinity OF scores OIL
cities. and a ready market Will nave
been established for vast quantities Oh
this material.
For several years the scientists IN
the Office of Public Roads, as well as
many of the more progressive states'
have been working to achieve TWO
great objects, viz, the utilization OF
by-products in road building and the
DEVELOPMENT of dustless roads. Ex'
neriments already conducted Indicate
that crushed rock combined with tar
or asphalt preparations bid fair to
solve in a measure the duStleSs ROAD
nroblem. Exhaustive laboratory tests
have indicated that Stag in comb1na-
tion with preparations of tar or asphalt
may be made to serve as substitute
for crushed rock. Sections of expert
mental road are now being construct
ed which will subject the materials to
actual service test. If the results are
as satisfactory as the preliminary con-
ditions indicate, the slag-asphalt or
slag-tar roads will realize the nope Oh
the scientists for both the utilization
of by-products and the attainment OF
a dustless road. One of these expert
mental stretches OF road is now IN
course of construction at Chicago, I'M
der the supervision OF Chief Engineer
Vernon NJ PIERCE, of the Federal Blu
reau, and one at Birmingham, Ala, I'M
der the direction of Mr.. B. F. He1del
First Assistant Engineer.
The road at Chicago will be OF Stag
and asphalt; that at Birmingham OF
Stag and tar. The greatest skill and
care will be used in putting down these
short stretches and they will then De
carefully observed during the trying
months of winter. If in the spring 1t
has been established that this class
of road remains firm, does not rut,
sheds water and makes but little dust,
a vast step forward will have been
taken in road building, and never
failing market will have been created
for blast furnace waste.
Resides this activity in Stag expert
ments. the Public Roads Office is also
busy at Newton, Mass, with special
asphalt pre- aration never before tried.
which the Director and his lieutenants
hope may prove efficacious as dust
binding surface material.
More unique than this, however, the
Office is preparing at the same place
to Law a stretch of what facetlouS WIFI
ers are almost certain to label Can
dy Road" In all flights of fancy 1t is
probable that nobody except sclen-
fist would go so far afield in research
as to adopt molasses as a road build
ing material, but that is exactly what
has been done here, and Assistant
Chemist Provost Hubbard of Director
Pages scientific corps is leveling a
half-mile stretch of road near Newton,
and in few days will be in active SUI
pervision of the laying OF the first
molasses road of history. This mo-
lasses is the almost useless by-product
of the great cane sugar refneries or
the South, and the beet sugar REIN
cries of the West and Southwest. 1t
is sickishly sweet, nearly as black and
as thick as tar, and almost as powerful
as q binder. Having always been a
waste product, it can be bought at a
lower price than coal tar and in great
er quantities.
When the quantity and the sticky
consistency of this material was called
to the attention of Director Page,