The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-10-25

1 can expect little or no work from the
local road officers. This is the time
that the individual may do much to
make the roads better. No organiza
ton is required, no paint, no levers
or complicated machinery. There is
nothing required that the man who
lives on a farm does not possess. The
man in town must be content to bring
whatever pressure he is able to bear
upon the street commissioner.
Organized Effort Counts.
TO accomplish results upon broad
scale an organization is necessary. Mr.
P. Ransom was able to build up an
Organization in Hardin county to drag
the roads Of an entire township in
three hours after he gave the order
The River.to-River Road association
with Mr.. Eichenger as secretary, main
tains $50 miles from the Missouri to
the Mississippi in such shape that the
members of the Glidden tour in 1910
gave this road credit for being the
longest continuous stretch of good
roads found on the trip. AS one driv'
er expressed himself, when we start.
ed over this road, everyone of us sat
back in our seats for the first easy 60
ling we had found and just rested all
the way"
The use of the drag, however, by the
individual farmer has given the drag
the good name it holds in the state. No
| fast and definite rules can be posted
up for the guidance of all as each
mile almost will respond most readily
to the care of the man who gives 1t
individual attention and thought.
Winter Work important.
During the fall, winter and spring
months the drag is most useful and,
contrary to the general belief, better
work may be done with the drag in the
winter than in the summer months.
Sometimes it is possible to drag just
before the roads freeze in the winter.
Again there are days when the sur
face has thawed for one-half or three
quarters of an inch. Snow or ice melt
ing may be easily removed by revers-
ing the drag. Under such conditions
as these, dragging through the months
of the year, during which by common
consent the roads have been left to
shift for themselves, produces Won
lderful improvement and is of more
real value than at any other time OF
the whole year.
Too frequently the drag is used on
lily to smooth the travelled way. Drag
lging should do more than this. 1t
should
l. Build up and preserve the round
ing shape of the road.
2. Keep the road free of shoulders
or ridges.
3. Keep the road from shoulder to
shoulder free of grass and weeds.
! 4. Be used occasionally in the side
tditches. ffft
S. Eliminate bumps or Jump offs'
at bridges and culverts.
| The Improvement to all earth road
effected by the drag is really semi
permanent, that is, the effect of the
dragging, if it has been continued for
some time, will be appreciate for
months after this care has ceased. This
is because each time the drag is used,
thin layer of earth, puddled earth,
If the earth is we'll travelled, is added
to the hard top surface to be rolled
down by the wheels and packed by
the horses hoofs into thicker sur
face layer.
Normally the hard surface on an
average earth road is about six inches
in thickness. We have examined well
dragged roads on which this hard ROOT
lof puddle earth was not less than
eighteen inches. This explains the
reason a dragged road will withstand
wet weather so much longer than one
not so cared for. This continuous
maintenance with the drag is the only
method by which We may hope t<
make a big improvement in our roat
conditions, on large scale, in any
reasonable length of time, and more
, over, it is the method We must u.s.
just so long as earth roads exist l
f we would keep them in the best pos
, Isible condition.
Local improvement clubs or organ
. izations can best undertake the carr
, of the roads by dragging. The Law