The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1914-01-30
SOME CLAY ROADS
AND TINE TO WORK
Many Niles OF This Kind Of Road
In Southern States-Tlme To
Work Them Is IN Spring.
Valuable Information.

There are At present about IS. 200
miles cf sand clay reads in the
United States, mainly in the South
ern States, according TO the office Of
Public Roads. United States De.
partment Of Agriculture. The time
20 work the roads is in the spring
when the soil is damp. Il the
working Of the roads is deferred
until late in summer when they are
dry, they ar not only much more
difficult 10 put IN proper share but
the cost Of repair is greater than il
they were worked early in spring.
Previous to 1894 comparatively
little, il any, Of these roads existed.
The popularity Of this type Of road
is due to the facts that it is cheap,
comparatively firm and durable, easy
to construct and repair, and that the
materials out Of which it is built are
plentiful in many sections Of the
country.
The sand-clay road is made by
mixing the sand and the clay
in such a way that the grains Of
sand touch each other, the spaces
between the grains being filled with
clay which acts as a binder.
The approximate mixture Of sand
and clay may be determined by
filling a vessel with a sample Of the
sand to be used, and another vessel
OF the same size with water. The
water is poured carefully into the
sand until il reaches the point Of
| Overlooking. The volume Of water
removed from the second vessel
represents approximately the pro-
portion Of clay needed.
The proportion Of sand and clay
can best be determined, however,
as the work progresses, as some
clay will contain more sand than
others. In fact, clayS are very fire.
4 quently found which already contain
about the right proportion Of sand.
II the road to be treated is sandy,
the surface is first leveled off and
crowned With a road machine, the
crown being about one half inch to
the foot from the center to the sides.
The clay is then dumped on the
surface and carefully spread, so that
it will be from six to eight inches in
depth al the center, and gradually
! decreasing in depth towards the
sides. A layer Of clean sand is then
usually added, which is thoroughly
mixed with the clay, either by traffic
or BY means Of plows and disk OF
tooth harows.
The best results have been oh.
tained by thoroughly mixing OF
pudding the materials while wet.
For this reason, it is desirable that
the mixing be done in wet weather.
The mixing can be left to the traffic
after the materials have been proper.
ly placed, but this involves a whole
winter and spring Of bad road, ant
even then the mixing is not always
satisfactory. In all cases, it is ad.
visable to dress the road with a roat
machine or split-log drag after The
materials have been thoroughly
mixed, and to give it crown Of moi
more than one inch or less thar
three quarters Of an inch to the foo
from the center to the sides. A
light coating Of sand may then b.
added. The use of the road ma
chine or drag should be continue,
at frequent intervals until the surfac
| is smooth and firm.
| If the road to be treated is com
/ posed Of clay, it should first b
brought to a rough grade with a roa
| machine. The surface should the
j be pIowed and thoroughly pulverize
: by narrowing to a depth Of abou
: four inches, after which it is give
{ a crown or slope Of about half a
Z inch to the foot from the center
Z the sides. 1t is then covered wit
E+ six to eight inches Of clean, shar
: sand, which is spread thicker in ii
center than at the sides. The m,
Z terials should then be mixed wit
N pIows and harrows while they al