The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-05-13
ROAD DRAG THE THING. II
Delward King the Road Drag Man in
Saturday Post.

There is something startling ingthe
statement that a drag is the imple-
! ment that is going to revolutionize
the wagon roads of this country and
save many millions of dollars to the
rural population of the United
States. Yet / make this statement
and put upon it all the emphasis of
which | am capable.
i 1t is impossible to express in fig
ures the value Of such revolution
/ in road making as results from the
general use of this new and absurd
ly simple method" In state so
long settled and progressive as Ohio,
Tor example, more than so per cent
OF the roads are of earth and the
interest shown by Massachusetts and
New York and some other eastern
states in the drag methods indicates
the Importance Of team transporta-
ton.
/ In Some of the western states
thousands of miles of wagon roads
have been reclaimed and made per-
manently good by the drag. 1t is
Of value on all kinds of roads, even
gravel roads. Did you ever notice
hog Wallow holding water all sum-
mer? That is because the hogs had
SO plastered the mud as to make
cement basin. That's what tie
drag does for the road. By its con-
slant use after a rain, it cements
the top so that the rain will run off
like water off ducks back" To
be perfect road must be oval and
hard. All of these indispensables
are acquired by the use of the drag
in any soil on earth.
One day a doctor told NE this
story: Il was driving down your
way the other night to see patient.
! You know how rough all the roads
| have been lately-well, | was rafting
along when | was aroused by the
buggy running so smooth felt like
a sleigh skimming over the snow.
Well, | had struck a stretch of
dragged road"
received letter from congress
man DeArmund, who said, that in
making his campaign he could tell in
the dark every foot of road that had
experienced the magic influence of
the drag"
There should be enough drags in
the country so that the rallying cry
of this movement is From your
own gate to your neighbours front
gate toward town." Keeping the
roads in condition so that church
and school privileges may be enjoy
ed, keeping the boys in touch with
a certain amount of social life so
that they will not want to leave the
farm, and keeping the roads passable
SO that markets can be reached with
degree Of pleasure and the good
markets taken advantage of and all
this road improvement done at a
time when you can do nothing else
on account of wet.
| have been so overwhelmed with
questions that | have prepared the
following 'catechism" as covering
with fair completeness, the main
working facts in the problem:
Would it not be better to pillow
the roads before dragging?"
No. Flowing gives soft founda-
ton. Flowing the roads is a relic
| Of the old dump-scraper days.
What would you do when there
are deep ruts in the road?"
Drag them. If you drag when
the surfaces are quite loose and soft
you will be surprised how soon the
ruts disappear.
t How do you get the dirt to the
' middle Of the road?"
l By hauling the drag slantwise
with the end that is toward the
center Of the road a little in the
| rear of the other end.
$ Suppose the road is too narrow?
e First drag the wheel tracks. AT
4 ter two or three rains or wet spells
$ pillow shallow furrow just outside
. of the dragged part. Spread this
: over the road with the drag. Only
s pillow one furrow. You may pillow
i another after the next rain. A
L.