Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-06-02
HOW TO BUILD and
use The SPLI1.LOG DRAG

The Office of Public Roads of the
United States Department Of Agri-
culture has issued a bulletin on
this simple road building device, as
follows: Y
One of the latest publications is
sued by the Office Of public roads of
the United States department of ag-
riculture treats of the split log drag,
an implement which numerous ex-
periments have conclusively shown
to be the greatest possible boon to
keep earth roads smooth and passa-
Bile. Because of its simplicity, its
efficiency and its cheapness, both in
construction and operation. it 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 simple and inexpensive mat
ter.
At the present time there are ap-
proximately 2, 200, 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 improved on ac-
county 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
majority of these 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 a powerful aid if
economy is the criterion demand
ed.
In the construction of this imple-
ment, care should be taken to make
it SO light that one man can lift it
with ease, light drag responding
more regularly to various methods
of hitching than a heavy one, as well
as to the shifting Of the position OF
the operator. TIE 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,
/ - il N-
hickory or ash. The log should be
between seven and ten feet long and
from ten to twelve inches in diameter
at the butt end. 1t should be split
carefully as near the center as pos
sible, 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 a two-inch hole which is to
ceive a cross stake. At distance of
twenty-five inches from the other
end of the front slab, locate the CEN
ter for another cross stake. The
hole for the middle stake will be on
a line connecting and half way be-
tween 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
hole for the center stake should be
located half way between the two.
All these holes should be carefully
bored perpendicular or at right ang-
giles to the face of the split log.
II these directions are followed. ii
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 inch
es nearer the center Of the road.
way than the front one. That gives
what is known ass set back The
stakes, which are thirty inches long
will hold the slabs this distance
| apart. When the stakes have beer
firmly weged into their sockets, /
brace about two inches thick ant
four inches wide may be placed dia
gonally to them at the ditch end d
the drag. A cleated board is placet
between the slabs and across th'
stakes for the driver to stand on.
BY many it is deemed best to plac,
4 a strip of iron along the lower fac
Of the front slab for cutting blad
and to prevent the drag from wear
ing. The drag may be fastened t,
the doubletree by means Of a trac
chain. The chain should be wrap
Il ped around the left hand or rea
stake and passed over the from
slab. Raising the chain at this en-
Of the slab permits the earth to drift
4 past the face Of the drag. The ot1
i er end Of the chain should be passe
\ through a hole In the opposite en-
OF the front slab and held by pi
4 passed through link.
4 For ordinary purposes, the hitc
Il should be 80 made that the unloade
/, drag would follow the team at 4
4 angle Of about forty-five degree,
The team should be driven with on
horse on either side OF the riph1