The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1908-06-12

site end OF the 'front.' slap ana held
by a pin passed through a link
For ordinary purposes, the hitch
should be so made that the unload
ed drag viii follow the team at an
angle of about - 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 viii move
the earth toward the center Of the
roadway and raise it gradually
above the surrounding level.
The best results have been OBJ
tanned 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 condition.
When the soil is moist but not
sticky the drag does its best work.
AS the soil in a field viii bake if
ploughed wet, so the road will bake
if the drag is used on it when it is
wet. If the roadway is full Of holes
or badly rutted the drag should be
used once when the ground Is soft or
slushy. This Is particularly appli-
cable before cold spell in winter.
when it is possible to 50 prepare
the surface that it viii freeze
smooth.
Not frequently conditions are
met which NAV be overcome by a
lights change in the manner of
hitching Shortening the chain
tends to lift the front slab and to
make the cutting slight, while
longer hitch causes the front slab to
sink more deeply into the earth and
act on the principle of a pillow.
If a furrow Of earth is to be NOV
ed the doubletree should be attach
ed close to the ditch end Of the
drag. and the driver should stand
with one foot on the extreme for
ward end of the front slab.
Conditions are so varied in the
different localities, however, that it
is quite impossible to lay down
specific rules. Certain sections of
roadway will require more atten-
ton than others. because Of steep
grades, wet weather springs, soil
conditions, exposure to sun and
wind, washes, etc. There is one
condition, however, in which speci-
al attention should be given. Clay
roads under persistent dragging fire.
Quently become too high in the cen
ter. This may be corrected by
dragging the earth toward the cen
ter of the road twice and sway from
it once.
There is no question as to the
economy of this Ioadmaking imple-
ment, either in first cost or in OPP
Grafton. In six counties in Kansas
in 1906 the cost of maintaining ordi-
nary earth roads, without the aid
of the split-log drag averaged S42. 80
a mile These figures We're furnish
ed by Prof W. c. Hood, of the
University of Kansas, who secured |
them from official records of the
counties.
Some figures furnished by F. P. /
-Sanborn and r. II. Ashton, Gen
eral Manager of the Chicago and /
Northwestern Railroad, have re-
vealed the wonders of this simple I
device. Mr.. Sanborn said the I
least expense per mile per annum !
for split-log dragging was 81 80, the I
greatest little over Sc, and the /
average expense per mile for 90 /
miles a little over So. | have lived +
along this road all my life and new /
er in 40 years have seen it fr-er
from mud and dust despite the fact /
that during the season we have ex-
perienced the extremes of weather
=
The testimony of Mr.. Ashton is
equally strong. Learning that a
township in Iowa had been making
an investigation of the split-log
drag and had been experimenting
with it for year on 2S miles of I
he sent an agent to secure
1t was reported that
the town board had paid
the cost of making the drags and of
hiring men to operate them, the
total expense for one year averaged
but 50 40 a mile, and the roads
were reported to have been like a
race track the greater portion of
the year.