The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1908-06-18

either side of the right hand whee
track or rut the full length of the
! portion to be dragged, and made tc
return in the same manner over the
| other half of the roadway. Such
treatment will move the earth toward
the center Of the roadway and raise
It gradually above the surrounding
level.
The best results have been obtain
ed 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 will 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 utted, the drag should be
used once when the ground is soft or
slushy. This is particularly applica-
BILE before a cold spell in winter,
when it is possible to so prepare the
surface that it will freeze smooth.
Not frequently conditions are met
which may be overcome by a light
change in the manner of hitching.
Shortening the chain tends to lift the
front slab anG to make the cutting
slight, while a longer hitch causes
the front slab to sink more deeply
into the earth and act on the princi-
pie of plow.
If a 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 etreme forward end of
the front slab.
Conditions are so varied in the diff
ferent localities, however, that it is
quite impossible to lay down specific
rules. Certain sections of roadway
will require more attention than
othrs, because of steep grades, wet
weather springs, soil conditions, ex-
posure to sun and wind, washes, etc.
There is one condition, however, in
which special attention should be
given. Clay roads under persistent
dragging frequently become too high
in the center. This may be corrected
by dragging the earth toward the
center of the road twice and sway
from it once.
There is no question as to the
economy of this oadmaking imple-
ment, either in first cost or in opera
ton. In six counties in Kansas in |
1905 the cost of maintaining ordi-
nary earth roads, without the aid of |
the split-log drag, averaged $42.50 a |
mile. These figures were furnished |
by Prof. W. C. Hood, of the Univer-
sity of Kansas, who secured them /
from official Goods of the counties.
Some figures furnished by f. p. /
5anborn and r. II. Ashton, genral /
of the Chicago & Northwest
srn Railroad, have revealed the won
iers of this simple device. Mr.. San
born said 1.-The least expense per mile
Der annum for split-log dragging was
$50, the greatest little more than
Sc, and the average expense per mile
or u miles little more than So.
lave lived along this road all my life
md never in forty years have seen it
reer from mud and dust, despite the
act that during the season we have
the extremes of weather
onditions.
The testimony of Mr.. Ashton is
qually strong. Learning that a
ownship in Iowa had been making
n investigation of the split-log drag
nd had been experimenting with it
or year on twenty-eight miles of
highway, he sent an agent to secure
It was reported that,
Though The town board had paid the
ost of making the drags and of hir- :
ng men to operate them. the total
xpense for one year averaged but
2.40 a mile, and the roads were re-
orted to have been like a race track
be greater portion of the year.