The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-06-01
How to Build ann
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OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES FsTHE
United STATES DEPARTMENT.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Bull
sLETlN ON TIL s. sslMPLEFSRo DAD
HuiLDlNG DEVICE "
one of the. latest publications is
sued BY the o eice of Public Roads Of
the United States Department Of Az
Hculture treats OF the spllt-log drag
al implement which numerous expo
.tments have conclusiyely shown to
be the greatest possible boon to keen
earthtroals smooth and passable. Be:
t1sise OF It's simplicity. Its efficiency:
AMI lis cheapness.y both In construc-
ton and operation. It Is destined to
come more and more into general use.
With the drag properly built nnl its
use well understood. the maintenance
OF earth roads becomes a simple and
ine.per siye matter.
AtEthe present time there are APP
proximately 100000 miles of earth
roads in the United Stntes. Some of
the most important OF these roads
will eventually be improved with
stone. gravel. and other materials.
:lany others which are equally I'M
portant cannot be SO improved on ac-
CONT OF lack OF funds or suitable ma
tertzls. while still others will not re-
uuire such treatment because OF the
light traffic to which they are subject
ed. For these reasons the majority
of our roads must be maintained MS
earth roads for many years to come.
This must be done by inexpensive
methods and the splt:-log drag will be
a powerful aid II economy is the crl-
terion demanded. n.
| {! In the construction OF this imple-
ment, care should be tlken to make 1t
SO light that one can lift with ease. a
| light drug responding more readily to
various methods. OF hitching than a
heavy one. n s well rs ito the shifting
of the position OF the operator. The
best material for split-log drag is
a, dry red cedar log. though red elm
land walnut are excellent, and box eld-
CIR. soft maple. or even willow are SUI
perlor to oak. hickory. or ash. The
log should be between 4 and 10 fed
long and from 10 to Il inches in tlia-
meter at the butt end. It should be
split carefully as near the center as
possible. and the heaviest and best
slab chosen for the front. In the front
slab 1 inches from the end which Is
TO drag In the middle of the roa,l
bore e-inch hole which Is to receive
Ia cross stake. At distance OF %
inches from the other end OF the front
slab. locate the, center. for another
crcss stake The hole for the middle
stake will be on a line connecting and
l halfway between the two. Then p1ac,
the back slab in position ana from
the end which is to drag In the mid
die OF the road measure 20 inches for
the center OF one cross stake and c
inches from the other end locate the
center of the opposite stake. The
hole for the center stake should be 10.
Gated halfway between the two. ALI
these holes should be carefully bored
perpendicular or at right angles to
the face OF the split log.
II these directions are followed 1t
will be found that when the holes OF
the front and back slabs are brought
opposite each other, one end Of the
back slab will be 1G inches nearer
the center Of the roadway than the
front one. That gives what Is known
. as "set back The stakes. which arc
80 inches long, will hold the slabs this
distance apart. When the stakes have
! been firmly %edged into their sock
cts, a brace about inches thick AMI
I; inches wide may be placed diagonal
ly to them at the ditch end OF the
drag. A cleated board is placed be
tween the slabs and across the stake:
for the driver to stand on.
BY many 1t is deemed best to place
a strip Of iron along the lower fac.
OF the front slab for cutting blade
and to prevent the drag from wear
: Ing. The drag may be fastened to tn,
. doubletree by means of a truce chain
. The chain should be wrapped nrount
!. the left-hanl or rear stake and passet
over the front slnb. Raising the chair
ut this end of the slab permits thu
earth to drift past the face of tn
drag. The other end of the chail
: should be passed through n hole Ii
the opposite end of the front slab an.
. held by pin passed through lint,
For ordinary purposes. the hitcl
should he SO made that the unloade,
( drag will follow the team Mt an mr.
s gle of about 40 degrees. The tear
;. should be driven with one horse o.
6 either side OF the r:sht-hand whec
I track or rut the full length, OF the no,