The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-10-28

fill the bill. He congratulated the
farmers out from Mankato on having
the best appearing mail boxes that he
had ever seen in the United States
He had succeeded in doing some things
on a farm that none of the farmers
had ever been able to do. and they were
as simple in comparison as the King
drag. One. was how to drive wild
horses without touching their heads OF
necks.
His First Drag.
Mr.. King had made his first drag of
post and pump stalk, a wire and
three fence boards. that was made to
break corn stalks on the farm. For
some unexplained reason he had hitch
ed a team to this and driven it UP
and down the road at an angle, when
the soil was moist and the road rough
He had then dragged the road when
ever it had rained. He had learned
that he could do more good with the
drag in winter than in summer. The
neighbors at first thought him foolish
and it was FIVE years before another
man had become converted.
The first thing that dragging does is
to give an oval road, without ruts
A thirty bushel load of grain on one
and one fourth inch tires brings more
pressure to bear on the road than the
heaviest steam roller. The surface OF
roads is composed of puddled earth.
If road is properly drained on the
surface, there will be no trouble about
the undertaking. The drag does not
puddle the earth. All it does is to
smooth the roads and drag little
earth to the center. 1t is the only
known way of working the roads in
cooperation with the elements.
The best thing to do is to use the
material at hand, and the best way
to use the material is to use the King
drag.
Mr.. King asked how many road
bosses were present, and only two men
raised their hands. A discussion fol-
lowed Mr.. King said that soil rounded
up with a grader will not drain wa
ter off. To make road without
expense. drag the wheel track after
rains four or five times, and drainage
will be had. A furrow should be plow-
ed on each side of the road lust out
side of the drag work. To drive the
travel away from the middle of the
road is mistake. Sod disked when
very wet and then allowed to dry be-
fore dragged to the center gives no
trouble. If you drag the roads, the
latter will straighten themselves.
Crooked roads are made by avoiding
mud holes. E
How to Use the Drag.
The drag must be made right, and
the driver must stand on the ditch
end, and the dirt will be thrown up
in the center. Mr.. King said that
on the clay hill by his farm it is
necessary to drag away from the cen.
ter every third time, as it piled UP
too much in the middle. Too much
dirt must not be put in the middle.
This can be done as well with a drag
as with heavy grader and at much
less expense. There is nothing that
will make good dirt road as well
as travel, up to a certain point.
How to Gravel Roads.
II the gravel is put on the roads
with manure spreader and only two
inches trick it will make good road
When it goes down, put it on again
and keep on until the ten or twelve
inches now put on all at once is all
on, and there will be good road all
of the time
If the road is dragged in the winter
during afternoon thaws it will do more
good than at any time. There will
be a road as hard as cast iron and as
smooth as race track.
1t was nearly six o'clock when Mr.
King closed, and most OF the audience
had gone. The latter part of his time
was taken up in answering questions
and rather snappy time was had
some of the farmers expressing in
credulity over his statements. He sale
that farmers further south had also
done this, but on putting his advice
into practice had found it to be sc
! good that they were following it and
urging others to do so.
Dances Well Attended.
The dances given at the Free Pres:
and Knights of Columbus halls last
evening, free to all ticket holders
were largely attended. The farmers
boys came in numerously, but gener
ally without ladies', so that there
were not enough girls to go around
but this was not allowed to detrac'
materially from the enjoyment of the
affairs. Good music was provided.