The Hartford republican., 1908-08-07
homemade MACHINE FOR
ROAD BUILDING.
The Department af Agriculture IS
Booming the Split-log
Drag.

The Public Roads Bureau of the De-
partment of Agriculture. having figured
out that there are 100000 miles of
earth roads in the Uni,ed States has
hit upon an inexpensive way for their
improvement. The split-log drag Is
its solution of the problem and the
bureau has set 10 work TO tell The
farmers how TO make it.
The main thing needed is a dry red
cedar log, although red elm and wal
nut are good, while box elder, soft ma
pie or even willow may be used. Oak
hickory and ash are not recommend
ed.
The log. TO 10 feet long and 10 10
IL inches in diameter al the butt, is
split as near the center as possible
the larger piece bing used as the front
of the drag and sometimes being shod
with iron along the lower or cutting
edge.
The two slabs on edge and 80 inches
apart are fastened togetherby stalk
es in such a way that when the drag
is in use on one side of road the end
of the backslab is about 16 inches near
the center of the driveway than the
end of the front slad. This gives what
is called the setback. Between the
heavy slabs and resting on the con-
Meeting stakes is a board onwhichJwn
fa1y fr hnn nf6 nm w A.
the driver stands.
A team of horses is hitched to this
completed drag in such way that
the drag unloaded will follow at an
angle of about 40 degrees. The team
should be given with one horse on eth.
er side of the right hand wheel track
or rut the full length of the part to
be dragged and made to return in the
same manner over the oher half OF the
roadway. Such treatment will move
the earth toward the center of the
roadway and raise it gradually above
the surrounding level.
The department recommends the use
of the split-log drag after heavy rains
when the road should be gone over on
each way, but much depends on the
quality of the soil, some roads requir-
ing frequent treatment.
How economical the method 1T
shown by figures of actual tests sub
mitted by the bureau. In six counts
in Kansas in 1906 the cost of main
tanning ordinary earth roads without
the aid of the split-log drag averaged
S42.50 a mile. These figures were
furnished by Prof. w. C. Hoad of the
counties.
Other figures are credited to F. P.
Sanborn and r. H. Ashton general
manager of the Chicago and North
western. Mr.. Sanborn said the least
expense per mile per annum for split
log dragging was s1.50 the greatest
little over Sc, and the average expense
per mile for five and a half miles a
little over SO. | have lived along this
road allmy life and never in forty year
have ! seen it freer from mud and
dust despite the fact that from mud
dust despite thief act thatt during the
season we have experienced the ex-
treme of weather conditions"
The testimony of Mr.. Ashton Is
equally strong. Learning that a town
ship in Iowa had been making an inves
tigation of the split-log drag and had
been experimenting with it for year
for two on twenty-eight miles of high
way he sent an agent 10 secure in
formation. 1t was reported that all
though the Town Board had paid the
cost of making the drag and of hiring
men to operate them the total-expense
for one year averaged but s2.4O mile,
and the roads were reported to have
been like a race track" the greater
norton of the year,