The record., 1914-06-04

and hard. they are not only difficult
10 work. but the work is unsatisfac-
tony when done. Earth which is loose
and dry will remain dusty as long as
the dry weather lasts. and then turn
to mud as the rains begin, BY using
the road machine in the spring while
the soil is scft and damp, the surface
Is more easily shaped and so9u packs
down into q dry hard crust which is
less liGolp TO bEccme dusty in sum
I.seT aad muaus al winter:
Repairs 10 reads should be made
when needed and not oncc year
after crops are laid b.. Because of
iri simplicity, efficiency and cheap
ness. the split-log drag or some SIM
liar device is destined to come into
more and more general use. With
the drag properly built and its use
well understood, the maintenance of
earth and gravel roads becomes a sim
pie and inexpensive matter. Care
should be taken to make the log so
light that one man can lift it with
ease, as a light drag can be drawn by
two medium sized horses and re-
spends mere readily to various meth
DDS OF hitching and the shifting posi-
ton of the operator than a heavier
one. The best material Tor the drag
is a dry cedar log, though elm. wal
nut, box cider or soft maple are eX-
cellent. Oak, hickory or ash are too
heavy. The log should be from seven
10 ten feet long, and from eight to
ten inches in diameter. IL should be
split carefully as near the center a.
possible and the heaviest and best
slab chosen for the front. When the
sell is moist, but not sticky. the drag
does the best work. AS the soil in
the field will bake If plowed wet, so
the road will bake if the drag is used
on it when II is wet. If the roadway
is full of holes or badly rutted the
drag should be used once when the
road is soft and slushy.
The earth road can best be crowned
and diiched with a road machine and
ret With picks ard shovels, scoops,
and Dlows One road machine with
a suitable power and operator will do
the work of-many men with picks and
shoyeis. and in addition viii do IT bet
ter. If the road is composed of fine
clay or soil ii will sometimes pay to
jacent field. which has sand or gravel
mixed with it. This method. called
the top soil method" is now in sue
cessful use in Clarke county, Georgia.
Storm water should be disposed Of
quickly before ii has had time to pene-
trate deeply into the surface of the
road This can be done by giving the
read q crown or slope from the cen
ter TO the sides. For an earth road
which is 2i feet vide the center
should be not less than six inches
ncr more than u inches higher than
the outer edges of the shoulder. The
narrow road which is high in the mid
die will become rutted almost as
quickly az one which is too fat. for
the reason that On narrow road all
the traffic is forced to use only a nars
row strip. Shoulders are often
lDTDltG tll uDtli SlutS VI inc q,
which prevents storm water from
flowing into the side dltches, retain
Ing il in the ruts and scfteaing the
roadway. These ruts and shoulders
can be entirely eliminated with ths
road machine or split.los drag.
The width Of the earth road will
depend on the traffic. AS a rule, 25
or so feet from ditch to ditch is
sufficient if the road is properly
crowned. Ordinarily the only bitches
needed are these made with the road
machine which are wide and shallow.
Deep narrow bitches wash rapidly, es-
pecially on steep slopes. The earth
road should not be loosened. dug up.
or plowed up any more than is abso-
lutely necessary.