Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-03
THE SPL|T-L0G DRAG GETS
IN THE L|MEL|GHT AGAIN
It's Use Has Been Neglected Too
Much in Virginia Rural
Districts.
OLD INFORMATION MADE NEW
Correspondent Calls for New Lecture
on Its Uses-Nothing New About
1.-THE Most Necessary Thing is
the Use of 1t.


good countryman. farmer of the
up-to-date kind, writes the Industrial
Editor:
i know you have used many col.
umns In the last three or four years
instructing, or trying to instruct Wiz.
GINA people; Virginia farmers In par.
ticular, as TO the good uses OF the split
ios draS. Therefore, I know IL is to
you an old story, but 1t may be that
many or your readers have forgotten
your lectures on the split log drag
and II may he that there are yet MANY
espe'Iaiiy among the younger farmers.
VINO failed TO read those good lectures
May ! ask. therefore. that you come
BACK 10 the old line and make the split
los drag the subject OF one or more OF
your Industrial Section lccturesg'
THE OLD, OLD
STORY COMES AGAIN
The Industrial Editor takes pleasure
IN complying with the above request
As htiinatcd. II is AN old lecture. but
MAYBE well worth repeating In way
The use OF the split-log drag IL I'm.
portant In putting the roads In shape
Tor winter use. There are over 1000.
600 miles of earth roads in the coun.
try, and the spllt-log drag is of great
service In keeping them in economi.
cal repair. The drag Ia used in many
states and In foreign countries It Is
used with two. three or four horses.
anu 10 cisiiS
The two-slab log and plank drag.
have proven the most satisfactory
Double drags for working both Sides
or the roadway simultaneously have
been tried with only limited success
The reason for this is that both sides
or an earth road are never exactly
alike. This causes the two parts OF
the drag to work unevenly and to In.
terfere with each other.
1t Is n mistake to construct a heavy
drag. a dry red cedar log Is the best
material for n drag. Red elm and
walnut when thoroughly dried are ex,
ccllent. and box elder. soft maple, or
even willow arc preferable TO oak,
hickory. or ash. but old Virginia white
oak Is mighty good
SOME INSTRUCTIONS FOR
MAKING THE DRAG
The log should be seven or eight feet
long and from ten to twelve inches in
diameter and carefully split down the
middle. The heaviest and best slabs
should be selected for the front At
n point on the front slab four Inches
from the end that Is to be at the mid
die OF the road locate the centre OF the
hole to receive a cross stake, and
twenty inches from the other end
Of the front slab locate the centre for
another cross stake. The hole for tho
middle stake will lie on a line connect
Ing and half way between tho other
two.
Tho back slab should then be placed
in a position behind the other. From
the end at the middle of tho road
measure twenty inches for tho centre
OF the cross stake, and six inches from
the other end locate the centre Of the
outside stake. Find the centre OF tho
middle hole as before. Whom these
holes are brought opposite each other,
one end Of the back slab will lie six
teen Inches nearer the centre OF the
roadway than the front ono. The hoien
should be two Inches In diameter. Care
must be taken to hold the auger plumb
In boring thcne holes In order that tho
stakes shall At properly.
The two slabs should DO hold thirty
inches apart by the stakes. The stakes
should taper gradually toward the ends.
There should be no shoulder at tho
point where the stakes enter the slab.
The stakes should be fastened In place
by wedges only. When the stakes have
been placed In position and tightly
wcdged. a brace two inches thick and
four inches wide should be placed dag
onally to them at the ditch end. The
brace should be dropped on the front
slab, so that Its lower edge shall lie
within an inch of the ground. while
the other end should rest in the angle.
between tho slab and the end stake.
strip Of iron about three and one
tContinued on Third Page.)