Pocahontas star herald., 1914-01-30
Sand Clay EOads and the Tine to
Work Them

NJ pfcaeut ABOUT do,uuU miles of
sand clay. roads in the United States
mainly In the Southern States. ao
oording To lha oaiee of Public
Roads. L. S. Department Of Apri
culture. The time to work roads
Is in the spring when the soil is
damp If the working of the roads
is deferred until late in the summer
when they are dry, they arc not on
" much moIe difficult to put into
proper shape but the coA Of repair
Is greater than if they were worked
early ia the spring.
Previous to 1894 comparatively IT.
tie. il any. of these roads existed
The popularity of this type OF road
is due TO the fact that it is cheap,
comparatively firm and durable,
easy to construct and repair, and
that the materials out Of which 1t
Is built are plentiful IN many sec
tons OF the coutry.
The sand-clay road is made by
mixing the sand and clay IN such a
way that the grains Of sand tonch
each other. the spaces between the
grairs being filled with clay which
acts as a binder.
The approximate mixture Of sand
and clay may be determined by iil-
ling vessel with sample Of the
sand to be used, and aaather vessel
Of the same size with water. The
water ispoured carefully into the
sand until il reaches the point Of
overflowiug. The volume of water
removed from the second vessel re-
presents approximately the proper.
,ion Of clay needed.
The proper proportion Of sand
and clay can best be determined,
however, as the work progresses, as
D., some clay viii have more sand than
others. In fact clays are frequent
ly found which already contain
about the right proportion Of sand.
II the road to be treated is sandy,
the surface is first leveled of and
and crowned with a road machine,
the crown being about | inch TO the
foot from the center to the sides.
The clay is then dumped on the
surface and carefully spread, so
that il will be from to inches IN
/leplh at the center, and gradually
decreasing in depth toward the sides.
A layer Of clean sand is then usual
/, added, which is thoroughly mix
ed with the clay, either by traffic or
by means OF plowsa and disk or tooth
harrows.
The best results have been obtain
ed by thoroughly mixing or pud-
ding the materials when wet. For
this reason, it Is desirable that the
mixing be done in wet weather.
The mixing can be left TO the traffic
alter the materials have been pro-
aerly placed, but this involves a
whole winter and spring of bad
road, and even the mixing Is not all
satisfactory. In all cases, it is ad
visable TO dress the rood with a
road machine or a split log drag at.
ter the materials have been thorough
ly mixed, aud to give it crown of
more than inch or not less than !
inch to the foot from the center to
the sides. A light coating of sand
may be added. The use of the road
machine or drag should be contin-
ued at frequent intervals until the
surface is smooth and firm.
If the road to be treated is COM
posed of clay, 1t should first be
brought to rough grade with a
road machine. The surface should
then be plowed and thoroughly
pulverized by narrowing to depth
OF about inches after which II is
given a crown or slope of about J
inch to the foot from the center to
the sides. 1t is then covered with
8 TO s inches of clean, sharp sand,
which Is spread thicker IN the cen
ter than at the sides. The materials
should then be mixed with plows