The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-08-18
ROAD MAINTENANCE
THE GOVERNMENT SPECIALISTS
MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS.
Keep the Surface Dry and Use the
Drag Frequently. Wide and
Shallow bitches.

WASHINGTON, D. C.-There is no
phase of the road problem more i'm
portant than that of maintenance.
The general impression that there
are certain types of roads that are
permanent is erroneous. No perma-
nent road has ever been constructed
or ever will be, according to the road
specialists of the United States de-
partment of agriculture. The only
things about road that may be con-
sidered permanent are the grading,
culverts and bridges. Roads con-
structed by the most skillful highway
engineers will soon be destroyed by
the traffic, frost, rain and mud unless
they are properly maintained. But
the life of these roads may be pro-
longed by systematic maintenance. A
poor road will not only be improved
by proper maintenance, but may be-
come better in time than a good road
without it.
The first and last commandment in
earth road maintenance is to keep
the surface we'll drained. To insure
good drainage the bitches should be
kept open, all distractions removed
and a smooth crown maintained. Ex-
cept for very stony soil the road ma
chine or scraper may be used once or
twice a year and the work should be
done when the soil is damp so that it
will pack and bake into a hard crust.
Wide and shallow side bitches should
be maintained with sufficient fall and
capacity to dispose of surface water.
These bitches can in most places be
constructed and repaired with road
machine.
All vegetable matter, such as sods
and weeds, should be kept out of the
road, as they make a spongy surface
which retains moisture. Clods are
also Objectionable, for they soon turn
to dust or mud, and for that reason
roads should never be worked when
dry or hard. Boulders or loose stones
are equally Objectionable if a smooth
surface is to be secured.
A splitlog drag or some similar de-
vice is very useful in maintaining the
surface after suitable bitches and
cross sections have once been secur-
ed. This drag can also be used to
advantage on gravel road as we'll as
on an earth road. The principle in
volved in dragging is that clays and
most heavy soils will puddle when
little attention that the earth road
wet and set very hard when dry. The
needs must be given promptly and at
the proper time if the best results are
to be obtained.
In dragging roads only a small
amount of earth is moved, just
though to fill the ruts and depres-
sions with thin layer of plastic clay
or earth, which packs very hard so
that the next rain instead of finding
ruts, depressions and clods in which
to collect runs off, leaving the sur
face but little affected.
The drag should be light and
should be dragged over the road at
an angle of about As degrees. The
driver should ride on the drag and
should not drive faster than walk.
One round trip, each trip straddling
a wheel track, is usually sufficient to
fill the rut and smooth the surface.
If necessary the road should be
after every bad spell of
weather, when the soil is in proper
condition to puddle well and still not
adhere to the drag. If the road is
very bad it may be dragged when
very wet and again when it begins
to dry out. A few trips over the road
will give the operator an idea as to
the best time to drag. Drag at all
seasons, but DO not drag uIy Iodu'
The slope or crown of an earth
road should be about one inch to the
foot. If the crown becomes too high
it may be reduced by dragging to-
ward the ditch instead of from it.
If the drag cuts too much shorten the
hitch and change your position on
the drag. If it is necessary to pro-
tect the face of the drag with strip
of iron it should be placed flush with
the edge of the drag and not pro-
jecting. cutting edge should be
avoided as the main object in drag
cling is to smear the damp soil into
position.