The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-03-13
fine SOIL POOR
ROAD MATERIAL
Machine Will Cause Damp
Earth to Dry Out.
An Interesting Story Of Federal
Experts On How to Build
Highways.

Washington, March 11.-As soils
differ for agricultural purposes, so
they differ for roads, says the roads
expert of the department asricul-
ture. Clay or soils of fine texture
usually make poor roads, especially
IL they contain much vegetable mat
ter. The coarser soils. however,
will often contain some sand or
gravel. will often make very satisfac-
tory roads for light traffic, provided
they be kept in proper repair.
IF the road is composed of fine
clay or soil. it will sometimes pay
to resurface it with top soil, from an
adjacent field which has sand or
gravel mixed with 1t. This method.
called the top-soil method. is now
in successful use in Virginia, North
Carolina and Georgia. and probably
in other states" said the depart
ment expert today.
1.-THE earth road can best be
crowndi and ditched with a road
machine and not with picks and
shovels. with a suitable power and
operator. will do the work of many
men with picks and shovels, and do
1t better.
1.-THE road machine should be usSi
when the soil is damp. so as to make
the soil bake when it dries out. If
it is worked dry. 1t takes more pow
er to draw the machine, and, be-
sides. dry earth and dust retain mois-
ture and quickly rut after rains.
The use OF clods. sods, weeds or
vegetable matter in building earth
roads should be avoidth because they
also retain moisture.
1T is a great mistake to put the
workings of the earth off until Au-
gust or September. The surface is
then baked very dry and hard. 1t
is not only difficult to work hut is
unsatisfactory work when done.
Earth which is loose and dry viii re-
main dusty as long as the dry
weather lasts and then turn to mud
as soon as the rains begin. BY using
the road machine in the spring OF
the year while the soil is soft and
damp. the surface is more easily
shaped and soon packs down into a
dry haNd crust which is less liable
to become dusty in summer or mud
dy in winter.
storm water should be disposed
OF quickly before 1t has time to pen
citrate deeply into the surface. This
can be done by giving the road a
crown or slope from the center to
the sides. For an earth road which
Is twenty-fOur feet wide the center
should be not less than six inches
nor more than twelve inches higher
than the outer edges of the shoulders.
A narrow road which is too
high in the middle will become rut-
ted almost as quickly as one which
is too flat for the reason that on
the narrow road all the traffic is
forced to use only a narrow strip.
Shoulders are often formed on
both sides of the road which prevent
storm water from flowing into side
bitches, retaining 1t in the ruts and
softenins the roadway. These ruts
and shoulders can be entirely elimi-
mated with the read machine or the
split-log drag.
Ordinarily, the only bitches need
ed are those made with tho road ma
chine. which are wide and shallow.
Deep. narrow. bitches wash rapidly.
especially on steep slopes, which is
another good reason for decreasing
the steepness OF the grades. IL is
difficult to maintain an earth road
OF any kind of road for that nlsntcr.
on a steep grade.
ty-five or thirty feet from ditch TO
ditch Is sufficient, II the read Is pro
perly crowned. a road that Is mar
rover than twenty-five feet is diff
THE width Of earth road win de-
pend on the traffic. As "A rule. TWEEN
cult to maintain for the above rea-
son that on narrow roads the teams
are more apt to track than ON a
wide road. causing II 10 rut IL sub
jected to heavy hauling.
The road should not be loosened.
dug or ploHal up any more than 10
absolutely necessary. The road