Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1908-06-13

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prepared by Government experts an6
represents the best experience avail
able. We wish every farmer, roao
boss and village street commissioner
would clip the article and keep it fol
references:
At the present time there are ap.
proximately 1900, 900 miles of earth
roads in 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
account 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 mex
pensive methods and the spilt-log
drag will be a powerful aid if econ
omy is the criterion demanded.
In the construction of this imple-
ment, care should be taken to MAKE
TT so LIGHT THAT ONE MAN
CAN LIFT 1T WITH EASE, a
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 split-log drag is a
dry red cedar log, though dry 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 7 and 10 feet
long and from 10 to 12 inches in dia-
meter at the butt end. It should be
split carefully as near the center as
possible, and the heaviest and best
slab chosen for the front. In the
front slab four inches from the end
which is to drag in the middle of the
road bore two-inch hole which is
to receiyea cross stake At dis
tanee of twenty two 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 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 twenty inches
for the center of one cross stake and
six inches from The other end locate
the center of the opposite stake. The
h ole 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.
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 of the
back slab will be sixteen inches near
er the center of the roadway than
the front one. That gives what is
known as a "set back" The stakes,
which are thirty inches long, will
holds the slabs this distance apart.
When the stakes have been firmly
wedged into their sockets, brace
about two inches thick and four in
ches 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 tits 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 double
tree by means of a trace chain. The
chain should be wrapped around the
left hand or rear stake and passed
over the front slab. Raising the chain
at this end of the slab permits the
earth to drift past in the face of the
drag. The other end IF the chain
should be passed through hole in
5he opposite end of the front slab and
neld by pin passed through a link.
For ordinary purposes, the hitch
should be so made that the unloaded |
}rag will follow the team at an angle /
If about forty five degrees. The
;eam should be driven with one horse
,n either side of the right-hand |
wheel track or rut the full length of
,he portion to be dragged, and made
o return in the same manner over
he other halt OF the roadway Such I
treatment will move the earth to-
ward the center of the roadway and I
.aise it gradually above the surrond-
ng level.
The best results have been obtained /
~ dragging roads one each way after
each heavy rain. In some cases,
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