Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1914-1915, 1914-10-01
PROPER CARE !
u w
OF GOOD ROADS

Uf GUUU RUADS'
There is no phase of the road prob
lem more important than that of
maintenance. The general impression
that there are certain types of roads
that are permanent are erroneous. No.
permanent road has ever been con-
structed, or ever will be, according to
the road specialists Of the department.
The onl ythings about a road that
may be considered permanent are the
grading, ~culverts and bridges. Roads
constructed by the most skillful n
gineers will soon be destroyed by the
traffic, frost, rain and wind 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 become
better in time than a good road with
out it.
The first and last commandent 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. Except for
very stony soil the road machine or
scraper may be used very effectively
for this work. The machine should be
used once or twice agar, 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 disrr
of surface water. These bitches can
in most places be constructed and re-
paired with a 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 al
I so Objectionable, for they soon turn
? to dust or mud, and for that reason
roads should never be worked when
dry or hard. Bowlders or loose stones
: are equally Objectionable if a smooth
surface is to be secured.
A split-log drag or some similar de-
1 vice is very useful in maintaining the
surface after suitable bitches and
cross section have once been secured
;. an also be used to advan.
tage on a gravel road as well as or
earth road. The principal involved
in dragging is that clays and mos'
heavy soils will puddle when wet ant
set very hard when dry. The little at
%tention that the earth road needs
must be given promptly and at TIN
! proper time if. the best results are t,
be obtained.
In dragging roads only a small
amount of earth is moved, just enough
- to fill the ruts and depressions witt
= a thin, layer of plastic clay or cart
- which packs very hard so that tn
- next rain instead of finding ruts, de
pressions and clods in which OF col
= lect run off, leaving the surface bu
little affected.
The drag should be light and shout
be drawn over the road at an angle O
~ able 45 degrees. The driver shout
y ride on the drag and should not driv
~ faster than a walk. One round tril
- each trip straddling a wheel tract
. is usually sufficient to fill the ruts an
smooth the surface. If necessary, til
road should be dragged after ever
bad spell Of weather, when the soil i
q in proper condition to puddle well an
still not adhere to the drag. If tn
= road is very bad, it may be dragge
= when very wet and again when it b
~ gins to dry out. A few trips wei til
road will give the operator an idea
the best time to drag. Drag at q
seasons, but do not drag a dry roat
The slope or crown Of an earth roa
should be about 1 inch to the foot.
the crown becomes too high, it ma
be reduced by dragging toward tn
ie ditch instead of from it. If the dra
IS cuts too much, shorten the hitch an
~ change your position on the drag.
it lis necessary to protect the face {
: the drag with a strip Of iron, it shout
pc be placed flush with the edge of til
drag andTnot projecting. A cuttin
edge should he avoided, as the mai
object in dragging is to smear tn
damp soil into position.
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