Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1914-10-09
IMPORTANCE or ROAD nAINTEN-
ANcE AND REPAIR.

lem more important than that OF
maintenance. The general impress
81 n that there are tertsin types Of
roads that are permanent is erroneous
No permanent road has ever been
constructed, or ever will be, accord
ing to the road specialists OF tbs de-
partment. The only things about a
ROAD that may be considered perma-
nent are the grading, culverts. and
bridges. Roads constructed by the
most skiilful highway engineers will
soon be destroyed by the traffic, fros,,
rain, and wind, unless they are pro
perly maintained. But the life Of
these roads may be prolonged
by prop er maintenance, lutI
may becom better il tire than a
good road without it.
The first and last commandment in
earth road maintenance is 10 keep
the SUI face well drained. To insure
good drainage the bitches shou d be
kept open, all distractions removed,
and sr,ooth crown maintained. Ex-
eept for very stony soil the road ma
chine or seraper may lie used very
effectively for this work. The ma
chine should be used once o. twice
yea, aud tn work should be done
when tie sui is damp, so tina, it will
pack and bake into a hard crust
" de and shallow side bitches should
10 m intimed with sufficient fall a
capacli, TO dispose Of surface water.
These bitches can in most places be
constructed and repaired with a road
machine.
All vegetable matter, such as sods
or weeds, should be kept out of the
road, as they make sp0ngy surface,
whica retains moisture. Clods ar
also Objectionable, for they soon turn
10 dust or mud, and for that rsas1
roads should never be worked when
dry or hard. Bowlders or loose
stones are equally Objectionable if a
smooth surface is to be secured.
A splii-Iog drag or some similar
device is very useful in maintaining
the surface after suitable bitches and
Gloss section have once been secured.
This drag can also be used to advan-
tage on a gravel road as well as on
ar earth road. The principle in
volved IN dragging is that clay and
most heavy suilS will puddle when
wet and set very hard when dry
The little attention that the earth
road needs must be giver prompt,
and at the proper ii ne if the best re-
suits are to be obtained.
In dragging roads only small a.
mount of earth is moved, just enough
to Fl the ruts ahd deOressions with
a thin layer Of plastic CLAW or earth
which packs very hard so that the
next lain instead Of finding ruts, de-
pressions, and clods in which to col
lect runs off, leaving the surface hut
little affected.
The drag sh nld be light and
should be drawn over the road at an
angle OF about As de, rees. The
driver should ride on the drag and
should not drive faster than walk.
One round tril, each tip stradiiing
a wheel track, is usually sutii lent 10
fill the ruts and smo ,th the surface.
Ii necessary, the road should be drag
ged after every .ad spell Of weather,
when the soil i IN proper condition
to puddle well and still not adher.
to the drag. If the road is very bad
it may be dragged very vet and a.
gain when it begins 70 dry out. A
few trips over the road will give the
operator an 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 he about l inch to the
foot II the crown becomes TOO high,
it may be reduced by dragging to-
ward the ditch instead OF from it. II
the drag cuts too much, shorten the
hitch and change your position ON
the drsg. II it is necessary to protect
the face of the dr. g with strip u
iron, it should he placed flush with
the edge Of the drag and not pro-
jscting. A emitting edge should be
avoided, as the main object in drag
ging is to smear the damp soil int
position.