The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1908-04-23
DIRT ROAD BUILDING
Practically Only Three Tools
Are Needed.
GRADER, HARROW AND DRAG.

the community west of Allendale. ILL.,.
and generally so all over the county
and In adjoining counties. When the
work was first started about four years
ago. few people had any faith ID re-
suits. and fewer still took any part in
the work But those few kept ut II.
dragging the winter roads rain or
shine muddy or dry. till now almost
everybody believes in road dragging.
and very large number turn out WIN
teams for work every few days. says
Hiram ri. Shepard in the Woman's
National Daily An exceedingly thor
ough test Is being made Of the native
earth to see what can be done Al
though all are constructed on the same
general principles. yet many different
kinds of road drags have been built
and their respective merits tested.
Most Of them are constructed OF . by
10 inch timbers from eight TO tel feet
long and require two teams for draw
ing them. Some have steel cutting
blades, and some have not; some have
open space between the two main drag
timbers, and others have solid. smooth
bottoms. They have found so far that
the drags with solid bottoms are best
for soft, muddy roads, while those
with open spaces between the timbers
are best for dry roads or for use just
after dry freeze.
On Jan % the roads in Wabash
county were frozen to depth of five
or six inches, and the surface had be-
come comparatively dry and loose. On
the afternoon of this date all drags
were put In operation on the roads
One of the drass with two teams pass
ed back and forth over six miles Of
country road in five hours on the after
noon of that date. The surface Of the
roads was dry and rotten enough so
that the earth was easily moved. and,
being frozen below. the track was left
as smooth and hard as floor. In
many places as much earth was moved
and placed perfectly in the center OF
the road as could be done in the sum-
mer with a good steel road grader. All
horse tracks and wagon ruts were I'LL
ed, and after the drag passed both
ways the road was left as fine as the
best city pavement. After two days
travel these roads were in perfect con-
dition. with no ruts or horse tracks
deeper than half an inch
There are practically only three tools
necessary for making and maintaining
good natural earth roads. They are
the road grader, harrow and road drag,
Road graders cost from 5000 to $500
each, according to size and style. Har-
rows are on all farms, and the cost is
reasonably low, while the road drag is
so very simple of construction that al
most any one can make one himself.
must be heavy enough so that two
teams will be required. One team Is
hitched at either end of the drag, and
when driven one team is made to go
ahead of the other SO that the drag
moves forward at an angle of thirty to
forty-fiye degrees toward the center Of
the road, thus forcing the surface
earth always to the center, making the
road rooflike, which allows surface
water to escape. On the front timber
a steel cutting blade is fastened so as
to project below about half an inch.
This cutting blade is not particularly
necessary for real muddy roads. but it
does effective work when the soil Is
does effective work on dry soil. and
real grading can be done with it.
The road drag's greatest efficiency is
for roads in winter when they are wet
and muddy or for leveling them in
winter just after dry freeze. By run
ming the drag over bad winter roads
horse tracks, wagon ruts and other de-
pressions are filled easily and rapidly.
the water being forced out so it can
run away and the surface left smooth.
The common field harrow is also an
other excellent drag. and its use Is III
creasing each year. Best results are
obtained by using the harrow when
the roads are rough but dry. 1t then
acts as a leveler, but not a grader, by
raking off the clods and bumps, max
ing them fine and filling in depressions
to prevent the accumulation of surface
water. which is the main cause of bad
roads. Keeping the ruts and holes filled
is the greater part of road mante-
nance. The harrow and the drag are
the two best tools known for doing 1t
rapidly. cheaply and we'll.
The foundation for good native
earth country road is made by drawing
the dirt to the center, leaving drain
bitches on either side to carry off the
surface water. This style might right
ly be, called the roof road. since the
roadbed slopes from the center to the
sides like house roof. carrying the
water off In similar manner.
The roof ,ridging of native earth
roads in the beginning can be done
cheaply and neatly only with the mod
ern iron road grader, which acts as
both pillow and scraper of former times.
The blade of the grader Is set at an
angle so that the earth at each furrow
is pushed toward the center of the
road. Besides the rapid work of the
grader. the long, sharp iron blade
moves straight, leaving the surface
hard and smooth. II maintained in the
condition in which the grader leaves 1t,
the road win remain dry. smooth and
passable for large part of the year.