Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-11-26
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ROADS
IMPORTANCE OF ROAD REPAIR
Impression That There Are Certain
Types Of Highways That Are Per
nanent 10 Erroneous.

There Is no pbsss OF the road prob.
lem more important than thet Of main.
tenance. The general impression that
there are certain types OF roads that
are permanent is erroneous. No per
manent road has ever been construct
ed or ever will be, according to the
road specialists of the United States
department of agriculture. The only
things about a road that may be con-
sldered permanent are the grading.
oulverts and bridges. Roads construct
ed by the most skillful highway engi-
neers will soon be destroyed by the
traffic, frost, rain and wind, unless
they are properly maintained. But the
life of these roads may be prolonged
by systematic maintenance. A poor
road will not only be improved by
proper maintenance, but may become
better In time than a good road with
out it.
The first and last commandment in
earth road maintenance is TO keep the
surface well drained. To insure good
drainage the bitches should be kept
open, all distractions removed and a
smooth crown maintained. Except for
very stony soil the road machine or
scraper may be used very effectively 4,
for this work. The machine should be |
used once or twice a year and the |
work should be done when the soil Is |
damp so that II will pack and bake /
into hard crust. Wide and shallow
side bitches should be maintained with
sufficient fall and capacity to dispose
Of surface water. These bitches can
In most places be constructed and re-
paired with a road machine.
All vegetable matter such as sods
and weeds should be kept out OF the
road as they make a spongy surface
which retains moisture. Clods are
also Objectionable for they soon turn
TO dust or mud and for that reason
roads should never be worked when
dry or hard. Boulders or loose stones
ire equally Objectionable II smooth
surface is to be secured.
A split-log drag OF some similar de-
vice rs very useful In maintaining the
surface after suitable bitches and
cross sections have once been secured.
This drag can also be used to advan-
tage on a gravel road as well as on an
earth road. The principle involved In
dragging is that clays and most heavy
soils will puddle when wet and set
very hard when dry. The little atten- /,
ion that the earth road needs must be
siven promptly and at the proper time {
the best results are to be obtained.
In dragging roads only a small
mount Of earth is moved, just enough
o fill the ruts and depressions with a
hin layer of plastic clay or earth
which packs very hard so that the
text rain instead of finding ruts. de-
ressions and clods In which to collect {
uns off leaving the surface but little
ffected. |
The drag should be light and should {
10 drawn over the road at an angle of
bout forty-tive degrees. The driver [
hould ride on the drag and should not
rive faster than walk. One round
rip, each trip straddling a wheel
rack, Is usually sufficient to fill the c
uts and smooth the surface. II neces-
airy the road should be dragged after
very bad spell Of weather, when the
oil is in proper condition to puddle !.
Iell and still not adhere to the drag.
the road is very bad it may be :
ragged when very wet and again
hen ii begins to dry out. A few trips
yer the road will give the operator
n idea as to the best time to drag.
rag at all seasons, but do not drag
dry road
The slope or crown of an earth road
hould be about one inch to the foot.
the crown becomes too high It may
Q reduced by dragging toward the
Itch instead Of from it. II the drag
ats too much. shorten the hitch and
hange your position on the drag. II
is necessary to protect the face of
he drag with a strip of iron, 1t should
Q placed flush with the edge of the
rag and not projecting. A cutting
dye should be avoided. as the main
beet in dragging is to smear the
amp soil into position.