Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1908-06-11

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 road in
good condition. When the soil is
moist but n IT sticky the drag does
its best work As the soil in
field will bake if plough he'd wet,
so the road will bake if the drag is
used on it when il 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 appli-
cable before cold spell in winter,
when it is posi- BILE to SO prepare
the surface that it will freeze
smooth. Not infrequently con-
ditions are met which may be over
come by a slight change in the man
ner of hitching. Shortening the
chain tends to lift the front slab
and make the cutting slight, while
a longer hitch causes the front slab
to sink more deeply in the earth
and act on the principle of piow.
If furr Nv 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 pf the front slab.
Conditions are SO varied in dill
ferent localities, however, that it
is quite impossible 10 lay down
specific rules. Certain sections Of
a roadway will requitc more at
tention than others, because OF
steep grades wet weather springs,
soil conditions, exposures TO sun
and wind, washes, etc. Their is
one condit on, however, in which
special attention should be given.
Clay roads under per sistent dragging
frequently become too high in the
center. This may be corrected by
dragging the earth toward the GEN.
ter of the road twi e, and away
from it once.
There is no quetion to the econ
. omy of this roadmaking implement,
= either in first cost or in oper alton.
: In six counties in Kansas lin 1905
the cost of maintaining ordinary
earth roads, without the aid OF tie
split log drag, averaged $42.50
{ mile. These figures we're fur
$ nished by Professor w. c. Hoad
q of the University ok ansas, wbS
secured them from official record:
v of the counties. Some figure.
/. furnished by F. p. Sanborn and r
II. Ashton, General Manager o
the Chicago and Northwestern rail
!. road, have~revealed the wonder!
of this simple device. MIR. San
e born said 1.-THE least expense Pc
II mile per annom for split log drag
ging was $3.50, the greatest
o little over SO, and the average ex
pense per mile for s IL miles
e little over So. have lived alonl
this road all my life and never il
40 years have seen it freer iror
= mud and dust, despite the fact tina
during the season we have ex
l. perienced the cxtreues OF weathe
conditious.''
n The testimony of Mr.. Aishto
. is equally strong. Learning the
% township in Iowa had been max
d ing an investig alton OF the spiit 10
n drag and had been experimental
u with it Tor q year IN % miles {
ie highway. he sent an agent 10 Sc
ii cure information. 1t was reporte
sc that although the town boar
ID had paid the cost of making III
TO drags and of hiring men TO operat
them, the roads were repor Led
II have been like a race II ack' tt
rs greater portion of the year.
re