Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-14

and make II 30 sort That the wheels OK
wagons vii cut thru the ROAD surface
and soon destroy Il.
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 drivsways into farm
yards are built across the side bitches
they frequently form channels for
water from the farm yard to run into
the road. The pipes under driveways
become filled With leaves or rubbish
and the water can not longer run away
II the driveways that stop the ditch
water were rebuilt 20 that no pines
were necessary and the ditch could be
left open. much trouble from surfa ce
water would be stopped.
Sometimes q road runs across low
ground or thru q swamp where the
road can not be drained by side bitches
alone. II the road were butt higher
like railroad embankment across
such low land and made with a crown.
it would be dry and hard. Sometimes
q road passes thru what 10 called a
cut. This is place where the earth
has been dug out 80 that the read can
20 over hill without being 100 steep.
The water which always flows quietly
under the ground on Hill sides Is known
as ground water. In road cuts such
water sometimes makes the road very
muddy. and the road then needs what
good kind Of underdrainaSe is trench
to go along under the side drain and
about three feet deep and foot and
~ ,x-srs All ri =
laid near the bottom and covered with
loose stones no bigger than an egg.
When the trench is completely h,led
with loose stones the ground water.
instead Of soaking into the roadway.
will stop among the stones and flow
down the hill thru the pipe.
To keep a road smooth and crowned
the best method is to drag it with a
road drag. A road drag is made easily
with two halves Of a 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 smboth faces forward and up
right. They are fastened together with
braces set in holes bored thru the log.
A pair Of horses may be used to drag
the road and are hitched to chain
fastened to the front half ct the log.
The road drag should move forward
so that IT slan,s across the road in such
way that a 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 will smooth out the ruts. The
best way to drag is tn begin at the eide
ditch and go up one side Of the ROAD,
and then 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 smcari0g
Of the earth by the drag is called
pudding" and it 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
ra!ned and not when It is dry. A coed.
strong pair Of horses with weil-built
drag can drag about three or four miles
of road in day. and 1t IS the best way
to maintain good roads. IN every coun-
ty some farmer along each four mics
of road should own a drag and drag
the road when 1t rains. He would al
ways ind the road in good condition
when he goes TO market.