The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-08-26
CRACK BOADMAC
When Best TO Use the Split
Log Drag.
FOLLOWING EACH HEAVY RAIN

Finest Work Done When the Boil 10
Moist, Not stioky-cIay Highway
Dragging Needs Special Attention.
Economy Of tho Device.
The best results with the split lot
drag have been obtained by dragging
roads once each day after each heavy
rain. In some cases. however. ono
dragging every three or four weeks
has been found sufficient to keep
road In good condition.
Whom tho soil is moist but not sticky
tho drag does It's best work, says bull
ledn from the government office OF
public roads As tho soil In a field VIII
bake II plowed wet, so the road VIII
bake IL the drag Is used on 1t when 1t
is wet. If the roadway is full of holes
or badly rutted, the drag should be
used once when the ground Is soft
and slushy. This Is particularly APP
piIcable before cold spell In winter,
when 1t is possible to so prepare the
surface that 1t will freeze smooth.
Not infrequently conditions are met
which may be overcome by slight
change In tho manner Of hitching,
Shortening tho chain tends to lift the
front slab and make the cutting slight,
while longer hitch causes the front
TO sink more deeply into the earth and
net on the principle of plow.
If furrow OF earth Is to be moved,
the doubletree should be attached
close to the ditch end of the drag, and
the driver should stand with one foot
on the extreme forward end OF the
front slab.
Conditions arc so varied In different
localities, however, that 1t Is quite
impossible to lay down specific rules
Certain sections of roadway will re-
quiro more attention than others be-
cause of steep grades, wet weather
springs, soil conditions, exposure to
sun and wind washes, etc. There Is
one condition, however, in which spe-
cial attention should be given. Clay
roads under persistent dragging fire.
quontly become too high In the center.
This may be corrected by dragging the
earth toward the center OF the road
twice and away from 1t once.
There is no question as to tho econo-
my of this rondmaklng implement,
either in first cost or In operation. In
six counties in Kansas in 1905 the cost
of maintaining ordinary earth roads,
without the aid of the split log drag.
averaged $4250 mile. These figures
were furnished by Professor w. O.
Hoad of the University of Kansas,
who secured them from official records
of the counties.
Some figures furnished by Il. p. San
II
ager of the Chicago and Northwestern
railroad, have revealed the wonders
of this simple device. Mr.. Sanborn
said: "The least expense per mile per
annum for split log dragging was $1.60.
the greatest little over SO and the
average expense per mile for five and
a half miles a little over So. ] have
lived along this road all my life, and
never IN forty years have / seen 1t
freer from mud and dus despite the
fact that during the season we have
experienced the extremes of weather
conditions
The testimony of Mr.. Ashton is
equally strong. Learning that town
ship in Iowa had been making an In
vostigatlon OF the split log drag and
had been experimenting with 1t for n
yoar ON twenty-elght miles of high
way, no sent an agent to secure infor'
nation. 1t was reported that, al.
though the town board had paid the
cost of making the drugs and of hir,
ing men to operate them, the total
expense for one year averaged but
$40 mile, and the roads were re
ported to have been "like a race track
the greater portion OF the year.