Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-06-05
slab and held by a pin passed
through link.

For ordinary purposes, tne niIcii
should be so made that the unload
ed drag will follow the team at an
angle of about As degrees. The
team should be driven with one
horse on either side of the right
hand wheel track or rut the full
length of the portion to be dragged,
and made to return in the same
manner over the other half OF the
roadway. Such treatment Will
move the earth towards the center
of the roadway and raise it gradu-
allv above the surrounding level.
The best results have been OBJ
tanned by dragging roads once each
way after each heavy rain. In
some cases, however, one dragging
every three or four weeks has been
been found sufficient to keep aroad
in good condition.
When the soil is moist but not
sticky the drag does its best work.
AS the soil in field will bake II
ploughed wet, so the road will bake
if the the drag is used on it when it
| is wet. If 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 applicable before a cold
spell in winter, when it is possible
to SO prepare the surface that 1t
will freeze smooth.
Not infrequently conditions are
met which may be overcome by a
slight change in the manner OF
hitching. Shortening the chain
tends to lift the front slab and
make the cutting slight, while a
longer hitch causes the front slab
to sink more deeply into, the earth
and act on the principle of a pillow.
| If a furrow of earth is to be mox11
ed. the doubletree should be at
tached close to the ditch end of the
drag. and the driver should stand
with one foot on the extreme for
ward end of the front slab.
| Conditions are so varied in differ
ent localities, however, that it is
quite impossible to lay down spe-
cifc rules. Certain sections OF a
roadway will require more atten-
ton than Others, because of steep
grades, wet weather springs, soil
conditions, exposure to sun and
wind, washes, etc. There is one
.
condition, however, in,which spec
ial attention should be given. Clay
roads under persistent Ndraggings
frequently become too higa in the
center. This may be corrected by
dragging the earth toward the cen
ter of the road twice, and away
from it once.
There is no question as to the
economy of this road-making I'M
, plement, either in first cost or IN
operation, In six counties IN Kan
sas in 1906 the cost of maintaining
ordinary earth roads, without the
aid of the split-log drag, averaged
!, S42. so q mile. These figures were
!, furnished by Prof. W. c. Hoad, O
the University of Kansas, who Sc
cured them from official records o
6 the counties.
Some figures furnished by F. +
:. Sanborn and R. H. Ashton, Gen
eral Manager of the Chicago an
: Northwestern Railroad, have re
u yealed the wonders of this slmpl
: device. Mr.. Sanborn said "th
; least expense per mile per annur
- for split-log dragging was sl.5t
;. the greatest a little over So, an
: the average expense per mile tor
1-2 miles a little over So. | haV
lived along this road all my life an
: never in 40 years have | seen
" freer from mud and dust, desplt
:. the fact that during the season "
,; have experienced the extremes
:, weather conditions.
The testimony of Mr.. Ashton
:, equally strong. Learning that
. township in Iowa had been maxim !
If an investigation of the split-lt
IS drag and had been experimental
,e with it. for year on % miles
70 highway, he sent an agent to s.
- cure information. 1t was reporte
- that although the town board ma
os paid the cost of making the draI
er and of hiring men to operate then
the total expense for one year ave