The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-06-02

agriculture treats Of the split.lor
drag. an implement which numerous
Experiments nave conclusiyelv shown
to be the greatest possible boon ia
keep earth roads smooth and passa.
BILE. Because OF its simplicity. fits
efficiency and its cheapucss. both in
construction and operation. 1t is des.
tined to come more and more into
general use. With the drag properly
built and its use well understood.
the maintenance of earth roads be.
comes a simple and inexpensive mat.
ter.
At the present time there are an.
proNimately 100000 miles OF earth
roads I'm the United states. Some OF
the most important OF these roads
will eventually be improved with
stone, gravel. and other materials.
Many others which are equally i'm.
/ portant cannot be so improved on ac.
count 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 ma.
jority of our roads must be main.
tanned 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 II econ.
omy is the criterion demanded.
/ In the construction Of this imple-
ment, care should be taken to make
1t 50 light that one man can lift
it with ease, n light drag responding
more readily TO various 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 dry 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 - inches in diameter at the
butt end. 1t should be split careful.
ly as near the center as possible, and
the heaviest and best slab chosen
for the front. In the front slab 4
inches from the end which is to drag
in the middle of the road bore a
2inch hole which is TO receive a
cross stake. At dis ancn NJ 22
inches from the other end OF the
/ front slab, locate the center for
another cross stake. The hole for the
middle stake will be on a line con.
meeting and halfway between the two.
Then place the back slab in posi-.
tiou and from the end which is TO
drak in the middle of the roat meas
ure 20 inches for the center OF one
cross stake and G inches from the
other end locate the center Of the
opposite stake. The hole for the cen
ter stake should be located halfway
between the two. All these holes
should be carefully bored perpendic-
ular or at right angles to the face
of the split log.
If these directions are followed It
will be found that when the holes
of the front and back slabs are
brought opposite each other. one end
M haplr gla vtsgn ~. g,,a
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, a brace about two
inches thick and four inches wide
may be placed diagonally to them
at the ditch end OF the drag. A
cleated board IS placed between
the slabs and across the stakes for
the driver to stand on.
BY many it Is deemed best TO
place strip along the lower face
of the front slab for a cutting blade
and to prevent the drag from wear
ing. The drag may be fastened TO
the doubletree by means OF a trace
chain. The chain should be wrapped
around the left-hand or rear stake
and passed over the front slab. Rails
ing 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 a link.
For ordinary purposes, the hitch
should be so made that the unloaded
drag will follow the team at an
angle OF about 40 degrees. The team
should be driven with one horse on