The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-06-13
The SDlIt-log DRAG.
How TO Make and Use This Wonderful
Cheap Road Implement.


issued by the Office of Public
Roads of the U. s. Department of
Agriculture treats of the split-log
drag, an instrument which numer-
Gus experiments have conclusively
shown to be the greatest possible
boon to keep earth roads smooth
aud passable. Because of its sim
plicity, its efficiency and its cheap
ness, both in construction and OPP
GRAFTON, it is destined to come
more and more into general use.-
With the drag properly built and
its use well understood, the main
tenance of earth roads becomes a
simple and inexpensive matter.
At the present time there are
approximately two million miles
of earth roads In the United States.
Some of the most important of
these roads will eventually be i'm
proved with stone, gravel and 9TH
er 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 in
expensive methods, and the split
log drag will be a powerful aid if
economy is the demand.
In the construction of this i'm
plement, care should be taken to
make it so light that one man can
lift it with ease, a light drag re-
sponding more readily to varioas
methods of hitching than a heavy
one, as well as to the shifting of
the position of the operator. The
best material for a split-log drag
is a 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 be between Z and
10 feet long, and from 10 to IL
inches in 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, four
inches from the end which is to
drag in the middle of the road,
bore a 2-inch hole which is to re-
ceive a cross stake. At distance
of % inches from the other end of
the front slab locate the center for
another stake. The hole for the
middle stake will be on line con-
Meeting and half way 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 20 inches for the
center of one cross stake, and SIX
inches from the other end locate
the center of the opposite stake
The hole for the center stake
should be located half way be-
tween the two. All these holes
should be carefully bored perpen'
dicular or at right angles to the
face of the log.
If these directions are followed
it will be found that when thu
holes of the front and back slabs
are brought opposite each othe1
one end of the back slab will be II
inches nearer the center of thu
roadway than the front one. Tha
gives what is known as ''set back.
The stakes, which are 30 inches
long. will hold the slabs this dis
lance apart. When the stakes
have been firmly wedged iuto thei
sockets, brace about 2 inches
wide may be placed diagonall!
L. xLox - tho ditch end IF tn,