The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-06-04

other cross stake, The hole for til,
middle stake will be on a line con
Meeting and hallway between the two
| Then place the back slab in position
and from the end which is to drag /,
the middle OF the road measure z
inches for the center OF one eros,
stake and Q inches from the other enc
locate the center OF the oppoSit,
stake, The hole for the center stalk,
should be located halfway between
the two, All these holes should bt
carefully bored perpendicular or al
right angles to the face of the split
log,
Ii these directions are followed il
will be found that when the holes Of
the front and back slabs are brought
opposite each other, one end OF the
back slab will be 10 inches nearer the
center OF the roadway than the front
one, That gives what is known as
"set back" The stakes, which are 80
inches long, will hold the slabs this
distance apart, When the stakes
have been firmly wedged into their
sockets, 4 brace about inches thick
and inches wide may be placed dag
onally to them at the ditch end oi the
drag \ cleated board is placed be-
tween the slabs and across the stakes
for the driver to stand on.
BY many it is deemed best to place
a strip OF iron along the lower face
OF the front slab for cutting blade
and to prevent the drag from wearing
The drag may be fastened to the
doubletree by means of trace chain,
The chain should be wrapped around
the left-hand or rear stake and passed
over tthe front slab. Raising the chain
at this end of the slab permits the
earth to drift past the face of the drag,
The other end Of the chain should be
passed through a hole in the opposite
end OF the front slab and held by a
pin passed through link.
For ordinary purposes, the hitch
should be made that the unloaded
drag will follow the team at an angle
OF about IS 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 gradually
above the surrounding level
The best results have been obtained
by dragging roads once each way
after each heavy rain. In some cases,
however, one dragging every three or
four weeks has found sufficient to keep
a road in good condition.
When the soil is moist but not
sticky the drag does its best work
As the soil in a field will bake il
ploughed wet, so the road will bake
il the drag is used on it when it is wet.
# the roadway is full of holes or bad
" rutted, the drag should be used |
once when the ground is soft and
ilushy This is particularly apple
lble before a cold spell in winter,
when it is possible to so prepare the
surface that it will freeze smooth.
Not infrequently conditions are met
which pay be overcome by slight
hange in the manner OF hitching.
the chain tends to lift the
ront slab and make the cutting
light while longer hitch causes the
ront slab to sink more deeply into
he earth and act on the principle of a
low.
If furrow Of earth is to be moved,
he doubletree should be attached
lose to the ditch end OF the drag, and !
he driver should stand with one foot
n the extreme forward end of the
ront slab.
Conditions are so varied in different
however, that it is quite inn
ossible to lay down specific rules.
'crtain sections Of a roadway will
aquirc more attention than others,
ecause of steep grades, wet weather
brings, soil conditions, exposure to
in and wind, washes, etc. There is
ne condition, however, in which
occial attention should be given.
lay roads under persistent draggings I
equently become too high in the
inter. This may be corrected by
.agging the earth towards the center
the road twice, and away from it
ice.
There is no question as to the econ
ny Of this roadmaking implement,
ther in first cost or in operation
| six countries in Kansas in 1906 the =
1st Of maintaining nrdinnru nnrth