Milford chronicle., 1914-03-20
EARTH ROADS WORK
AND HOW TO DO 1T
TimeIyAdvice in Regard to the Ordinary
Rural Highways. Repairs at Once.

i As soil differ for agricultural purposes
. so they differ for roads, says the Depart
/ ment of Agriculture. Clay or soils Q
+ fine texture usually make poor roads, es
J pecially if they contain much vegetable
j matter. The coarser sOds however
: which contain some sand or gravel Will
often make very satisfactory roads FOL
light traffic provided they are kept II
proper repair.
Ii the road is composed Of fine clay Of
soil, it will sometimes pay to resuriace
it with top soil from an adjacent held
which has sand or gravel mixed with It.
This method, called the top-soil method,
is now in successful use IN Virginia,
North Carolina and Georgia, and probably
other states
The earth road can best be crowned
and ditched with a road machine, and
not with picks and shOvels, scoops and
plows. One road machine, with suit
able power and operator will do the
work Of many men with picks and shovels,
and do it better
The road machine should be used when
the soil is damp, so as to make the soil
bake when it dries out It is worked
dry, it takes more power to draw the
machine, and, besides dry earth and dust
retain moisture and quickly rut after
rains. The use Of clods sods, weeds or
vegetable matter in building earth roads
should be avoided because they also retain
moisture
It IS a great mistake put the working |
of the earth off until August or September. |
The surface is then baked dry and hard.
Il is not only difficult to work but is |
unsatisfactory work when done. Earth
which is loose and dry will remain dusty
as long as the dry weather lasts and then
turn to mud as soon as the rains begin.
By using the road machine in the spring
of the year while the soil is soft and
damp, the surface is more easily shaped
and soon packs down into a dry hard
crust which is less liable to become dusty
in summer or muddy in winter
Storm water should be disposed of !
quickly before it has time to penetrate
deeply into the surface. This can be
lone by giving the earth crown or slope
from the center to the sides. For an
aarth road which is "a feet wide the center
should be not less than inches nor
more than II inches higher than the
utter edges of the shoulders. A narrow
Dad which is too high in the middle will
become rutted almost as quickly as one
which IS too fiat for the reason that on
he narrow road all the traffic is forced
use only narrow strip.
Shoulders are often formed on both
ides of the roads which prevent storm
alter from flowing into side bitches, re-
aiming II in the ruts and softening the
oadway. These ruts and shoulders can
e entirely eliminated with the road
lachine or split-log drag.
Ordinarily, the only bitches needed
re those made with the road machine.
hich are wide and shallow. Deep, mar
Nv bitches wash rapidly, especially on
eep Stops, which is another good reason
" decreasing the steepness of the grades.
is difficult to maintain an earth road, =
any kind of road for that matter. on
steep grade j.
The width of the earth road will de-
'nd on the traffic. AS a rule, Is or 80
ct from ditch to ditch is sufficient, if
e road IS properly crowned. A road
at IS narrower than Is feet is difficult
maintain for the above stated reason
at on narrow roads the teams are more II
10 track than on a wider road causing
to rut if subject to heavy hauling.
The road should not be loosened. dug
Plowed up any more than is absolutely
cessary The road should be gradually
SEQ, not lowered hardened, not soft z
On fiat lands, where water moves SLOWLY p
iulhg material should be taken from
lower ditch and culverts supplied
ere waterways occur. A shallow ditch -
the upper side makes it possible TO =
culVerts a good fall. Two or more
an pipes, instead of one large one of
lai capacity, may be used for culyerts
ecially If the large pipe necessitates
On grading or raising of the roadway.
least inches should be left between
II pipe and earth should be tanned
'ashout. - SUI
'spSirs to roads should be made when
aeu, ana not once a year after crons
laid by" One days labor. iudici-
~ distributed throughout the wear
accomplish more and better yorl, in
maintenance of an earth road tbar
same amount of labor expended in
nays especially if the six days are in
'us., september or October, when
ground is hard and dry.
e a; OF Its simplicity, its efficiency
.SSneaPness, the split-log drag or some
iIar device is destined to come into
{ ana more general use. With the
properly built and its use well nm
t0od' the maintenance of earth and
.eI roads becomes a simple and inex.
I'VE matter. Care should be taken 70
e the log so light that one man can
i with ease, as a light drag can he
N oy two medium sized horses and
on as more readily to various methods s
tehing and shifting positions of the
ator than heavier one.