The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-12-30
IMPORTANCE OF ROAD REPAIR
impression That There Are Certain
Types Of Highways That Are Per.
rnanent Is Erroneous.

IheTe IS no pGaSe or the EO2C pIOD-
Ism more important than that Of main
tenance. The general Impression tina:
tLsere are certain types OF roads that
aze permanent IS erroneous. No per-
uane1t road has ever been construct
ed CT ever viii be, according to. the
sceo specialists Of the United States
department of agriculture. The only
ta!nsss about a road that may be con-
siGered permanent gre the grading,
culyerrS ard bridges. Roads construct
ed by the most skilIful highway engi-
neers will soon be destroyed. by the
traffic, frost, rain and wind, unless
they s.e properly maintained. But the
life CT these roads may be prolonged
by systematic maintenance. a poor
roac Will not only be improved by
prefer maintenance, but may become
better in time than a good road with.
out it.
The Grst and last commandment in
earth road maintenance IS to keep the
surface well drained. To insure good
drainage the bitches should be kept
open, all cbs.ructicns removed and
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 year and the
work should be done when the soil is
damp so that it will pack and bake
into 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 re-
paired with road machine.
Al vegetable matter such as sods
and weeds shouI be kept ont of the
road as they make spongy surface
which retains moisture. Clods are
also Objectionable for they soon turn
10 dust or mud and for that reason
roads should never be worked when
CRY or hard. Boulders or loose stones
are equally Objectionable if smooth
surface is to be Sectred.
A split-log drag or some similar de-
vice ie very useful IN maintaining the
surface after suitable bitches and
cross sections have once been secured.
This d-.g can also be used to advan-
tage Oh q gravel road as we'll as on an
earth road. TIE principle involved in
dragging is that clays and most heavy
soils will puddle when wet and set
very hard when dry. The little atten-
tier that the earth road needs must ba
given promptly and at the proper time
ii the best results are to be obtained.
In dragging roads only a small
amount OF earth is moved, just enough
to ill the ruts and depressions with a
thin layer of plastic clay or earth
which packs very hard so that the
next rain instead Of finding ruts, de-
pressions and clods in which to collect
runs off leaving the surface but little
affected.
lie drag should be light and should
be drawn over the road at an angle Of
ebou: !crty-fye degrees. The driver
should ride On the drag and should not
drive faster than walk. One round
trip, each trip strsddling a wheel
track, IS usually sufficient to fill the
luts ard smooth the surface. II neces-
sary the road should be dragged after
every bad spell Of weather, when the
soil is in proper condition to puddle
we'll and still not adhere to the drag.
II the road is very bad it may be
dragged when very wet and again
when it begins to Cry 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
a dry read.
The slope CT crown Of an earth road
should be about one inch to the foot.
II the crown becomes too high it may
be reduced by dragging toward 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 protect the face of
the drag with 4 strip Of iron, it should
be placed flush with the edge of the
drag and not projecting. a cutting
edge should be avoided, as the main
object in dragging is to smear the
damp soil into position.