The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-01-21
Sand Clay Roads and tho Time to
Work Them.

Washington, d. c., Jan. 19.-There
are at present about $4,000 miles OF
sand clay roads in the United States,
mainly in the Southern States, ac-
cordng to the nIlce Of Public Roads,
U. S. Department of Agriculture. The
time to work the roads is in the spring
when the soil is damp. If the working
Of the roads is deferred until late in
summer when they are dry, they are
not only much more difficult to put
in proper shape but the cost Of re-
pair is greater than If they were work
ed early in the spring.
Previous to 1894 comparatively lit
tie, If any Of these roads existed. The
POPULARITY of this type Of road is due
to the facts that it is cheap, compare
lively firm and durable, easy to con-
struct and repair, and that the ma
terials out Of which it is build are
plentiful in many sections of the
country.
The sandclay road is made by mix
ing the sand and clay in such way
that the grains of sand touch each
other the spaces between the grains
being filed with clay which acts as
a binder.
The approximate mixture of sand
and clay may be determined by filling
a vessel with 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
it reaches the point Of overflowing.
The colume Of water removed from
the second vessel represents approxi-
matcly the proportion Of clay needed.
The proper proportion OF SAND and
clay can best be determined, however,
will contain more sand than others.
In fact. clays arc very frequently
found which already contain about the
right proportion Of sand.
If the road to be treated is sandy,
the surface is first lcvclcd of and
crowned with road machine. the
crown being about l2 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 6 to 5 inches in depth at the
center, and gradually decreasing in
depth towards the sides. \ 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 or tooth harrows.
The best results have been obtained
by thoroughly mixing or pudding the
material when wet. For this reason, it
is desirable that the mixing be done
in wet weather. The mixing can be
left to the traiic after the materials
have been properly placed, but this
involves a whole winter and spring
Of bad road, and even then, the mix
ing is not always satisfactory. In
all cases, it is advisable to dress the
road with road machine or split
log drag after the materials have been
thoroughly mixed and to give it a
crown Of not more than | inch or less
than 81 inch to the foot from the
center to the sides. a light coating
of sand may then be added. The use
Of the road machine or drag should
be continued at frequent intervals un-
til the surface is smooth and firm.
If the road to be treated IL COM
posed of clay, it should first be brought
to rough grade with road machine.
The surface should then be plowed
and thoroughly pulverized by harrow
ing to a depth Of about inches after
which it Is given crown or slOp OF
about l2 inch to the foot from the
center to the sides. 1t Is then cover
ed with 6 to inches Of clean, sharp
sand, which is spread thicker in the
center than at the sides. The materi-
ais should then be mixed with plows
and harrows while they are compare
lively dry, after which they are final
ly puddled with harrow during wet
weather If the clay works to the sur
face and the road becomes stick, more
sand should be added.
The road is then shaped, crowned,
and ditched in the usual manner with
a road machine. This should be done
when the surface is soft, yet stiff
enough opack we'll under the roller
or the traffic. Wide but shallow ditch
chOulI bo proyiIo1 IN hoth cidna