The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-07-08

raised in the center and should ~fu,.
gently into broad. shallow bitches y.
is then said to have a crown. II
10 feet from the enter of tn roes
to the side ditch, the surface ~ go
side ditch should be al least 10 lrra,,
lower han it is at the center vh.r-
the horses travel. The road then rs
a 10-inCh crown. The rain that fsa
on a road properly crowned NIL -,
quickly to the side and not SOAK sar,
the surface OF form pools. TIE s.o-
bitches for surface water should SIN,
parallel 10 h right Of way. and
should be open al every low ptfrt
SO that the water can run ONT 4
them into n~eighboring brooks =
streams. If the bitches merely .cl-
lect the water from the road S~arf.c.
and 1t can not run away. large pools
will be formed along the roadSld-
which will gradually soak into the
soil beneath the road and MAKE III ss
soft that the wheels OF wagons VII
cut through the road surface ant
soon destroy it
Sometimes water runs from land
along the rOad into the road and
forms a little stream down the wu.el
! tracks or in the middle where tNe
| horses travel. When ~drivewa,S 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 drive,
ways become filed with leaves CT rub
| bish and the water can no loneev
run away. If the driveways that stop
the ditch water were rebuilt so that
no pipes were necessary and the ditch
| could be left open, much trouble from
surface water would be stopped.
l. Sometimes a road runs across loH
grounds or through q swamp where
the road can not be drained by SIDE
bitches alone. If the road We're bQilt
hiohor 1iko a rai1YOa6 0nh IL NJ ~
across such low lands and made With
a crown, it would be dry and hard
Sometimes a road passes through
what is called a cut This is a place
where the earth has been dug out 50
that the road can go over a hill wlth~
out being too steep. The water, which
always flows quietly under the ground
on MQlsides. is known as ground wa
ter. In road cuts C water some-
times makes the road very muddy
and the road then needs what road
builders call undertakings. A good
kind OF undertakings is a trench ii
go along under the side drain and
about 3 feet deep and a foot and a
half wide. In this trench a pipe IS
laid near the bottom and covered with
loose stones no bigger than an egg.
When the trench Is completely filed
instead Of soaking into the roadway.
will stop anon the stones and nov
down the hill through the pipe.
To keep a road smooth and crowH-
ed, the best method is TO drag it With
a road drag. A road drag is mace
easily with two halves Of a log WHOM
has been split. The log hould be
about 6 or 8 inches in thickness and
with the smooth faces forward and
upright. They are then fastened to@
eether with braces set in holes bored
through the log. A pair Of horses
l NAV he -lSnH 70 drag fNQ road and
are hitched to a chain fastened 10
the front halt of the log The road
drag should move forward 50 that X
slants across the road in such . way
that a small amount Of earth VII
slide past the smooth face Of the log
toward the cente of the road tnOs
forming the crown. The edges OF ne
logs will smooth out the Tuts. The
best way to drag is to begin a. m"
side ditch and go up one side Of no
road, and then down the other IN
the next trip the drag should ho
started a little nearer the center and
the laet trip over the road the orae
may work close TO the center itself
Small ridges Of earth will be thrown
in The horse track and smeared ~
over the road. The SInearing Of me
earth by the drag is called pudding
and it tends to max the surface -
the road smooth and Watertight after
inc sun comes out me fOdu - 49,
ways dragged after it has rained and
not when it is dry. 4 good. strong
pair of horses with a well-buflt drag
can drag abOnt 3 or 4 miles OF road
in a day, and it is the best way 30
lnaintain good roads. IN every coDn-
ty some farmer along each 4 mH@s II
road should own a drag and dfa;
the road when it ain He would
always find the road in good Cprd.-
ton when he goes TO market.
OWNS to the fact that many rural
schools were closed at the time whea
the prize maintenance essay wa an
q by Director Logan NaLri
Page, OF the office Of public roads
= 1t has been decided TO extend m
n limit for receiving the essays 10 hc-
Is, 1913. In addition 10 fh'
gold medal given as first prize. tHt
. silver medals Will be given as secone
IS and third prizes. II a child who iia'
v submitted one essay previous 10 ne