The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-07-02
DRAGGING
HARD ROADS
Simplest and Cheapest Way to Main.
tain Certain Highroads in Good
Condition

Washington, July 1.-The road |
drag is the simplest and least ex-
pensiye continuance yet devised for
maintaining earth roads, according
to the experts in the q. S. Depart
ment of Agricultural, who are coop
Grating with state and county author
tiles in work for better roads.
Properly used, the drag gives the
needed crown to the road, smoothes
out ruts and other Irregularities,
spreads out puddles of water, there
by accelerating the drying of the
road, and makes the surface more or
less impervious to water by smear
ing over the so-called pores in the
earthly material. The cost of oper-|
alton depends, of course, upon local
conditions and the thoroughness with
which the work is done. Tt is -afe
| to say, however, that it is les ex-
pensive than any other efficient sys-
tenn of upkeep.
Farmers Bulletin No. SCI, of the
department Of agriculture, discuss
es under the title of THE Road Drag
and How Tt Is Used" the best meth
DDS of maintaining earth roads in
/ good condition by this simple device.
In this bulletin, which has just been
published, the department points out
that of more than 100000 miles of
public roads in the United States,
only about 100000 miles have been
given hard surface. 1T is true, of
course, that a large part Of the re-
naming mileage consists of roads
that are entirely unimproved, and
that on roads Of this class the drag
is practically useless. There is
much larger mileage, however, that
has been partially improved, and it
is on roads of this character-roads
that have been crowned or drained
but have not a hard surface-that
the use of the drag is advocated.
In it's simplest form, the road drag
consists of an ordinary log split in
half and the two halves connected
like the uprights of a ladder by
means of cross sticks or rungs SCI
in. The log should be about or
inches in diameter, and from to
feet in length. It is better to have
it of well-seasoned, hard, tough
wood The two semi-cylindrica
halves of the log from the runner
of the drag, and are usually spaced
from 80 to So inches apart. Tn
front runner is always placed witt
the split surface of the wood facin,
forward, but the rear runner some
times has its rounded face in front
This is done in order to increase tn
smearing action of the drag as
passes over the surface of the road
The two runners are not place
directly behind each other, but ar
Offset, as it is called, from IL to
inches. This is done because tn
drag is drawn over the road at a
angle sufficient to make the runner
free themselves of the material whic
they scrape. The amount Of this an
gle or skew depends, of course, upo
the condition of the road. BY offse
ting the runners, it is possible t
make their ends follow approximate
" the same line on the road, whic
they would not do if they were 81
directly behind each other and tn
drag drawn at an angle with th
road.
In order to provide standing roo
for the man, it is usual to nail tW
boards down upon the rungs parall
to the runners. Standing upon thes
a skillful driver will bear his weigl
in such way as to aid materially
the successful operation of the dra
The drag is drawn by a cha