Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-07-29
THE sPLlT-LOG DRAG.
Endorsed by the Government Road
Department..

4
the office OF public roads OF the United
States department Of agriculture treats o.
the split-iog drag, aneimplement which
numerous experiments have conclusively
shown to be the greatest possible boon tt
keep earth roads smooth and passable
Because of its simplicity, its efficiency and
its cheapness, both in construction and
operation, it is destined to come more and
more into general use. With the drag
properly built and its use well understood
the maintenance of earth roads becomes a
| simple and inexpensive matter.
| At the present time there are appoxi-
mately 1000, 900 miles Of earth roads in the
! United States. The mos important OF
these roads will eventually be improved
Many others cannot be so improved on
account of lack OF funds or suitable
materials, while still others will not re-
quire such treatment because 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 a powerful aid il economy is
the critic ion demanded.
In the construction OF this implement,
care should be taken to make it SO light
that one man can lift it with ease, light
drag responding more readily to various
methods of hitching than heavy one, as
well as to the shifting of the position 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 eren will
low, are superior to oak, hickory or ash.
The log should be between seven and
ten feet long, and from ten to twelve
inches in diameter at the but. 1t 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 receive cross stake.
At distance OF Twenty-Five 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 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 CEN
ter 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 six
teen inches nearer the center of the road
way than the front one. That gives what
is known as ''set back" The stakes,
which are thirty 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 dag
onally to them at the ditch end OF the
drag. A cIeated board is placed between
the slabs and across the stakes for the
driver to stand on.
By many it is deemed best to place q
strip of iron along the lower face of the
front slab for q 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 sround the 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 the face OF
the drag. The other end CT the chain
should be passed through q hole in the
opposite end Of the front slab and held by
4 pin passed through link.
For ordinary purposes, the hitch should
be so made that the unloaded drag will
follow the team at an angle OF about 45
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 will move
the earth towards the center of the road
way and raise it gradually above the
surrounding 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 q road in
good condition. When the soil is moist
but not sticky, the drag does its best work.
As the soil in field will bake il ploughed
wet, SO the road will bake il the drag is
used on it when it is wet. II the roadway
is full OF holes and badly rutted, the drag
should be used once when the ground is
soft and slushy. This is particularly sp-
plicable before cold spell in winter, when
it is possible to SO prepare the surface that
it will freeze smooth.
Not infrequentiy conditions are met
which may be overcome by slight change
| in the manner Of hitching. Shortening
the chain tends to lift the front slab and
make the cutting slight, while . longer
hitch causes the front slab to sink more