The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-07-29
ROAD lain Ten ANCE
OF P0R I AlNCE.
United States Department Of Agricul
ture Says Impression Thai. Certain
Highways are Permanent Wrong
BEST WHEN WELL CARED. FOR
Should Be Drained, Vegetable Matte,
Killed and Dragged Attention
AT All Seasons.
S. Department Of Agriculture.

Ss.fs
Washington, DC. July 29.There
is no phase of the road problem more
important than that Of maintenance
The general impression that there
are certain types Of roads that are
permanent is erroneous. No perma-
nent road has ever been constructed
or ever will be, according to- the
road specialists Of the q. S. Depart.
:ment of Agriculture, The only thing:
about a road that may de considered
permanent is the grading, culverts,
and bridges. Roads constructed by
the most skilled highway engineers
will soon be destroyed by the traffic,
frost, rain and wind, unless they
are properly main tanned. But the
life of these roads may be prolonged
lby 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. 81.
Keep Well Drained.
IA 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. Ex-.
:cept for very stony coil the road
machine or scraper may be used
very effectively for this work. The
machine should be used once or twice.
a year and work should be done when
the soil is damp SO that it 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 he
constructed and repaired with road
machine. Z. {.
+
III Vegetable -:
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 he worked when
dry, or hard. Boulders or loose
stones are equally Objectionable if
a smooth surface is to be secured.
A split. log drag or some similar
device is very useful in maintaining
the surface after suitable bitches
and cross section have once been Sc
cured. This drag can also be used
to advantage on gravel road as we'll
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 attention that the
earth road needs must be given
promptly and at the proper time if
the best results are to be obtained.
More But Little.
In dragging only small amount of
earth is moved, just enough to fill
the ruts and depressions with a thin
layer of plastic clay or earth which
packs very hard so that the next
rain instead of finding ruts, depress-
ions and clods in which to collect
runs off leaving the surface but
little affected.
A Light Drag.
The drag should be light and
should he drawn over the road at an
angle of about As degrees. The driver
should ride on the drag and should
not drive faster than a walk. One
round trip, each trip straddling a
wheel track, is usually sufficient to
fill the ruts and smooth the surface.
| If necessary the road should be drag
ged after every bad spell of weather,
when the soil is in proper condition
to puddle well and still not adhere
!: to the drag. If the road is very bad
it may be dragged when wet and
again when it begins to dry out. A
few trips over the road will give the
operator an idea as to the best time