Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-06-20


bitches merely collect the water from
the road surface and It can not run
away, large pools will be formed along
the roadside, which will gradually
soak into the soil beneath the road
wagons will cut through the road sur
face and soon destroy It.
Sometimes water runs from land
along the road into the road and forms
little stream down the wheel tracks
or in the middle where the horses
travel. When driveways into farm
yards are built across the side bitches,
they frequently form channels for wa
ter from the farm yard to run into the
road. The pipes under driveways be-
come filled with leaves or rubbish and
the water can no longer run away. II
the driveways that stop the ditch wa
ter were rebuilt so that no pipes were
necessary and the ditch could be left
open. much trouble from surface wa
ter would be stopped.
Sometimes road runs across low
ground or through a swamp where the
road can not be drained by side
bitches alone. II the road were with
a crown, it would be dry and hard.
Sometimes a road passes through
what Is called cut. This Is a place
where the earth has been dug out so
that the road can go over hill with
out being too steep. The water which
always flows quietly under the ground
on hill sides is known as ground wa
ter. In road cuts such water some
times makes the road very muddy.
and the road then needs what road
builders call underdrainage. A good
kind of underdrainage Is q trench to
go along under the side drain and
about three feet deep and foot and a
half wide. In this trench pipe Is laid,
near the bottom and covered with loose
stones no bigger than an egg. Wher
the trench is completely filled with
loose stones the ground water, instead
of soaking into the roadway, will stop
among the stones and flow down the
hill through the pipe.
To keep road smooth and crowned,
the best method Is to drag II with a
road drag. A road drag is made easi-
w with two halves Of log which has
been split. The log should be about
six or eight inches In thickness and
about six or eight feet long. The two
halves Of the log are set three feet
apart with the smooth faces forward
and upright. They are then fastened
together with braces set in holes bor-
ed through the log. A pair of horses
may be used to drag the road and are
hitcfed to a chain fastened to the
front half of the log. The road drae
should move forward so that 1t slants
across the road in such way that Q
small amount Of earth will slide past
the smooth face Of the log toward the
center Of the road. thus forming the
crown. The edges Of the logs VIII
smooth out the ruts. The best way to
drag Is to BEGIN at the side ditch and
down the other. In the next trip the
drag should be started little nearer
the center and the last trip over the
road the drag may work close to the
center Itself. Small ridges Of earth
will be thrown in the horse track and
smeared by the round side OF the log
smoothly over the road. The smear
ing of the earth by the drag Is called
"puddling" and II tends to make the
surface of the road smooth and water
tight after the sun comes out. The
road Is always dragged after 1t has
rained and not when It Is dry. A good
strong pair Of horses with a well-buil'
drag can drag about three or foul
miles Of road in day. and 1t Is the
best way to maintain good roads. In
every county. some farmer along eacf
four miles of road should own q drae
and drag the road when 1t rains, and
he would always find the road In gooc
condition when he goes to market.
Owing to the fact that many rura
schools were closed at the time wher
the prize maintenance essay was an
nounced by Director Logan Waller
Page Of the office Of public roads. !,
has been decided to extend the liml1
for receiving the essays to October 10
1918. In addition to the gold media
given as first prize, two silver medal:
win be given as second and third
prizes. II a child who has submitted
one essay previous to the Issue OF this
notice should care to try again. he II
at liberty to do so. but he must be
pupil of rural school. There is some
misunderstanding In regard TO tn'
subject of the essay. The idea Is e
set the children thinking how to bet.
ter their earth roads with the materia
they have at hand.