The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-12-10
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR.

First and Last Commandment For
Earth Roads 10 Surface Drainage.
There is no phase of the road prob
lem more important than that of main
tenance. The general impression that
there are certain types of roads that
are permanent is erroneous. No per-
manent road has ever been constructed
or ever will be, according to the road
specialists of the United States depart
ment of agriculture. The only things
about road that may be considered
permanent are the grading, culverts
and bridges.
The first and last commandment 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
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
in most places be constructed and re-
paired with road machine.
All vegetable matter such as sods
and weeds should be kept out Of the
road, as they make spongy surface
which retains moisture. Clods are
also objectiona ble for they soon turn
to dust or mud, and for that reason
roads should never be worked when
dry or hard powders or loose stones
are equally Objectionable. if smooth
surface is to be secured.
A split log drag or some similar de-
vice is very useful In maintaining the
surface after suitable bitches and cross
section have once been secured. This
drag can also be used to advantage on
a gravel road as we'll as on an earth
road. The principle involved in drag
ging is that clays and most heavy soils
will puddle when wet and set very
hard when dry. The little attention
that the earth road needs must be Civ
en- promptly and at the proper time If
the best results are to be obtained.
In dragging roads only a small
amount of earth is moved. just enough
to fill 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.
The drag should be light and should
be drawn over the Ioad at an angle of
about forty-five degrees. The driver
should ride ON the drag and should not
trip. each trip straddling wheel track,
is usually sufficient to fill the ruts and
smooth the surface. II necessary 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 If the
road is very bad it may be dragged
when very wet and again when it be-
gins to dry out A few trips over the
road will give the operator IN idea as
to the best time to drag. Drag at all
seasons. but do not drag dry road
The slope or crown of an earth road
should be about one inch to the foot.
If the crown becomes to high it may
be reduced by dragging toward the
ditch instead of from it. II the drag
cuts too much. shorten the hitch and
change your position on the drag. II
it is necessary to protect the face of
the drag with a strip of iron, 1t 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.