The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1908-09-11
CRACK ROAD MACHINE
When Best 10 Use the Split
Log Drag.
FOLLOWING EACH HEAVY RAIN

Finest Work Done When the Soil Is
Moist, Not Stloky-ciay Highway
Dragging Needs Special Attention.
Economy Of the Device.
The best results with the split lot
drag have been obtained 10y dragging
roads once each day after each heavy
rain In some eases. however, ono
dragging every three or four weeks
has been found sufficient 10 keep
road In good condition
When the soil is moist but not sticky
the drag does It's best work. SAYS a bul
letin from the government Office Of
public roads. As the soil In a field VIII
bake II plowed wet, so the road will
bake il the drag IS used ON Il when il
IS wet IL the roadway is full of holes
or badly rutted the drag should be
used once when the ground is soft
and slushy. This is particularly APP
piicable before a cold spell in winter.
when II is possible 10 so prepare the
surface that it will freeze smooth
Not infrequenty conditions are mot |
which may be overcome 10y slight /
change in the manner Of hitching /
Shortening the chain tends 90 lift the /
front slab and make the cutting slight. /
while q longer hitch causes the front
to sink more deeply into the earth and
act on the principle of a pillow
II furrow Of earth IS 10 De- moved.
the doubletree should be attached
close % the ditch end Of the drag. and
the driver should stand with one foot
on the extreme forward end Of the
front slab.
Conditions are so varied in different
localities, however that it IS quite
impossible TO lay down specific rules.
Certain sections Of roadway will re- D
quire more attention than others be- G
cause Of steep grades. wet weather j
springs s0il conditions. exposure 10 j.
sun and wind washes. etc There IS
one condition, however. in which spe
cial attention should be given. Clay f.
roads under persistent dragging FIRE
quently become too high ia the center.
This may be corrected by dragging the 7
earth toward The center Of the road u;
twice and away from it once
There is no question as TO the econo-
my Of this roadmaking implement.
either I'm first cost or in operation. In m
Six counties in Kansas fin 1906 the cost 10
" maintaining ordinary earth roads -,
without the aid Of the split log drag
averaged $3.50 q mile. These figures
were furnished by Professor W. @. er
load Of the University Of Kansas. sl
Who secured them from official records Is
# the counties. .n
Some figures furnished 10y i. =. San ~
'orn aud II. ii. Ashton. general man
ger Of the Chicago and Northwestern
have revealed the wonders re
f this simple device Mr.. Sanborn Al
aid: THE least expense per mile per wl
mum for split log dragging was $3.50. -
he greatest little over So and the
Verage expense per mile for five and
half miles a little over 50. I have
we'd along this road all my life. and
ever In forty years have / seen it
'eer from mud and dust, despite the
let that during the season we have
lperienced the extremes Of weather
'nditions" +
The testimony Of Mr.. Ashton is
Iually strong Learning that a town
up In Iowa had been making an in
'sugation Of the split log drag and
ID been experimenting with it for
ar on twenty-eight miles Of high
ny, he sent an agent 10 secure infor- T..
alton. 1t was reported that. al most
ough the town board had paid the the
ST Of making the drags and Of hir- had
men to operate them, the total any
pense for one year averaged but as W
40 a mile and tho roode ,,.o-o -. us fo
% 'O"u' WIZ ~ cd ti
rted TO have been "llke a race track" than
2 greater portion Of the year All g