The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-10-29

Where II Is necessary to build high
grades, land this Is not very often the
case better low grades kept smooth,
than high ones neglected), the base
should be wide, and the rise gradual
from ditch to center. with top wide
enough to allow vehicles to pass one
another. There are actually graded
roads In this state where IL Is not safe
to drive and the builders thereof, In
my opinion, come very near being
criminals. Many of our sandy roads
could be made more easily passable
with their own material, and at slight
expense. Some of these roads are
worn into ruts so deep that ii Is i'm.
possible to turn vehicle out of them:
and many of them are grown up to
weeds and grass If the weeds and
grass we're mown and raked, then
take the sod from strips about one
rod wide on the extreme outer edge
on both sides of the roadway, place 1t
on the center 33 feet in such a man
ner as to fill all ruts and bring it to
a nice. even surface with disc har-
row and flexible drag, then cover the
center l6 feet with trash that has been
secured and over that with a manure
spreader put on thin coat of clay to
hold the trash down. Or. where clay
is not to be had a coat of black dirt
will help. Then every year repeat the
Operation of moving and covering with
clay keeping the ruts filled with a
light drag. Or on any sandy road
much good can be done by moving
the whole of the roadway in August
las provided by law and by using a
side delivery rake, place the trash
in a straight line in the center of road
way This could be done at slight ex.
pense, and would result in much bene.
fit to the road.
First prepare the roadbed out of
native soil, making 2S to SO foot
base, depending on the height to which
the center will have to be raised !;
cut down the hills to a $50 grade,
and round up center of road from end
to end with flexible drag. Then,
where 1t is pure sand, cover a strip
of the center IL to Is feet wide (pre-
ferably 16 feet, as that is the width
generally adopted for macadam roads
with an inch coat of yellow clay, on
top of this the same thickness of
black dirt, and again a coat of clay.
Or, where dark colored clap is to be
had no black dirt would be needed.
But put on a three inch coat Of clay,
or as much heavier as desired, then
90 over the whole with fine tooth
farm harrow, then with the road drag
bring in a thin coat of sand, and II
very dry and no chance of rain.
sprinkle with water to keep the dust
down until 1t does rain, when sand and
clay will unite, forming solid mass
that will not easily track up. Where
base of road is black muck, and no
sand, two coats Of clay and one of
sand will form hard surface, and
If kept rounded with road drag, will
form a crust that will not only turn
water, but will hold up all kinds of
heavy traffic. OF course the proper
tion to be used depends on the kind
of clay, but a sufficient amount should
be put on to fill the sand to a depth
of six to nine inches. The amount
Of clay necessary to fill sand can be
determined by taking a measure full
of the road base and an equal amount
of water, pour the water into the
sand until it is full, The amount of
water used is equal to the amount
of clay that is necessary to fill the
road base. If, after the clay and
sand have thoroughly mixed 1t still
sticks to the wheels, then with a road
drag bring enough sand from the sides
to make it of the right consistency.
This material can all be put on with
manure spreader by using an mex
pensive attachment, and believe most
of it could be loaded with a manure
loader, which would reduce the cost
of handling to minimum.
But whatever else you do, be sure
to NOW the weeds and drag the roads
drag them. Drag them after every
rain until they become smooth, round
and hard, then just often enough to
keep them in that condition.