Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-07-29
IMPORTANCE 0F
 ROAD MAINTENANCE
There Ain't No Such Thing as Permanent
 Road, Say Specialists.

Washington, July 2S.-There is no phase of the road problem more i'm portant than that Of maintenance The general impression that there are certain types of roads that arc permanent is erroneous. No perman- eTll road has ever been constructed or ever will be according to the roa( specialists of the United States dc partmeAt of agriculture. The only things about road that may be con" sidered permant are the grading culverts, and bridges. Roads con- structed by the most skillful highwa, engineers will soon be destroyed by the traffic, frost, rain, and wind, ui- less they are properly maintained But the life of these roads may Ae prolonged by systematic mainte,'- aEce. A poor road will not only be improved by proper mainteance but may become better in time thal g good road without it.
 The first and last commandment i:l earth road maintenance is tos keeT the surface we'll drained To insure good drainage the ditches should be kept open, all Instructions renove1 and a smooth crown maintained. ;7X- cept for very stony soil the road machine or scraper may be used very effectively for this work. Tine machine should be used once or twice year and the work should bt done wh0n the soil is damp so that it will pack and bake into harl crust. Wide and shallow side ditches should be maintained with sufficient fall and capacity to dispose of surf ac ewater. These ditches can in most places be constructed anu repaired 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 objectionable for they soon tur.l 10 dust or mud and for that "eas on roads should never be worked when df.r or hard. Boulders or loose stones are equally objectionable if a smooth surface is to be secured.
 Split-Log Drag Useful.
 A split log drag or some similar device is every useful in maintaining the surface after suitable ditches and cross section have once been secured This drag can also be used to advant- age on gravel road as we'll as on an earth road. The principle involv- ed in dragging is that clays and most heavy soils will puddle when. wet anG set very hard when dry. The Httit attention that the earth road need. must be given promtply and q. the proper time if the best results are tc be obtained
 In dragging roads only small amount of earth is moved, just enough to fill the ruts and depress- ions with thin layer of plastic clay or earth which packs very hard SC that the next rain instead of finding ruts, depressions 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 road at an angle of about 45 degrees. Tht uElNSIS SllOulu IuC Oll lHC Nl" o"~ should not drive faster than walk One round trip, each trip stradling z wheel track, is usually suffic;en- 'e fill the ruts and smooth the surfac: If necessary the road should be dragged after every bad spell O weather, when the soil is is proper condition to puddle weel and s!il not adhere to the drag. If, the roae is very bad it may be dragged ~Eer very wet and again when 1t begins tt dry out. A few trips over tl4e roat will give the operator all idea as t' the best time to drag. Dcag at all seasons but do not drag q dry road.
 The slope or crown of aE earth road should be about one iuch to the foot. If the crown becomes too high it may be reduced by dragging to- ward the ditch instead of from II. Il the drag cuts too much, shorten the hitch and change your position on the drag. If it is necessary to pro- tect the face of the drag with striT of iron, it should be placed flush with the edge of the drag and Hol projecting. A cutting edge should he avoided as the main object in dragging is to smear the damp Soil