Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-06-04
HOW TO BUILD AND USE THE SPLIT
-
IOG.DRAG.
Office of Public Roads of the United
States Department of Agriculture
Issues a bulletin ON this Sim
pie Road BuiIding Device.

numerous experiments have conclusively
shown to be the greatest possible boon to
keep earth roads smooth and passable. Be-
cause of its simplicity, its efficiency and its
oheapness, both in construction and opera
ton, it is destined to come more and more
into general use. With the drag properly
built and its use we'll understood, the main
tenance Of earth roads becomes a simple
and inexpensive matter.
At the present time there are approximate
ely 100000 miles of earth roads in the
United States. Some of tae most important
of these roads will eventually be improved
with stone, gravel, and other 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 be-
cause 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 inexpensive methods and the
split-log drag will be powerful aid if
economy is the criterion demanded
In the construction of this implement,
care should be taken to make it SO light
that one man can Lifts it with ease, light
drag responding more readily to various
methods of hitching than heavy one, as
we'll 40 70 the eb;Ffinr ~ fI,a ,,,s;{;o,, of
the operator. The best material for a split
log drag is 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 and 10 feet long and from 10 to II
inches inches in diameter at the butt end.
1t should be split carefully as near the
centre 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 pinch hole
which is to receive cross stake. At dis
lance OF % inches from the other end of the
front slab, locate the centre for another
cross stake. The hole for the middle stake
will be on line connecting and halfway
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
% inches for the centre Of one cross stake
and 6 inches from the other end locate the
centre Of the opposite stake. The hole for
the center stake should be located halfway
between the two. All these holes should
be carefully bored perpendicular or at right
angles to the face of the split log.
II 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 of the back slab will be Is inches
nearer the center of the roadway than the
front one. That gives what is known as
"set back.n The stakes, which are 80
inches long, will hold the slabs this distance
apart. When the stakes have been firmly
wedged into their sockets, brace about 2
inches thick and four inches wide may be
placed diagonally to them at the ditch end
OF the drag. A cleted 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
strip of iron along the lower face of the
front slab for cutting blade and to pre-
vent 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 pas
sed over the 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
hole in the opposite end of the front slab
and held by pin passed through link.
For ordinary purposes, the hitch should
be so made that the unloaded drag will fol-
low the team at an angle of about 45 de-
grees. 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
III eAO oou4C 14ohuCA OfOL cuo OtucI udll Vi
the roadway. Such treatment will move
the earth towards the center Of the.road way
and raise it gradually above the surround
ing 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 been
found sufficient to keep a road IN good con-
dition.
When the soil is moist bat not sticky the
drag does its best work. AS the soil in a
field will bake if ploughed wet so the road
will bake if the drag is used on it when ii
is wet. II the roadway is full of holes or
badly rutted, the drag should be used once
when the ground is soft and slusby. This
is particularly applicable before a cold spell
in winter, when il is possible to so prepare