The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-07-15
THE USE OF THE SPLIT
LOG DRAG ON EARTH ROADS
Department of Agriculture, Bulletin
No. 321, by D. w. Khg)
Introduction

Introduction
The earth road is by far the most
common typs of highway in this coun-
try. It's cheapness in comparison with
other types of construction and the alb
sence in many sections of the country
of rock, gravel, or other natural ma
terials for road building will render
it's use necessary for many years to
come.
There are at present in this coun-
try about 100000 miles of such roads,
most of which must be maintained by
some means more or less inexpensive.
The split-log drag is of great service
on roads of this class, and an increas-
ing mileage of the rural highways of
this country is being kept in repair
economically and we'll by the use of
this simple implement. 1t is now in
use in many states of the union and
in foreign countries also, and it's
adoption in most localities where there
are earth roads will doubtless in
crease. IL,
The aim in writing this bulletin has
been to give a concise description of
the construction of the split-log drag
and the method of using it which will
give the best results.
The Construction Of a Split'Loo Drag
The author has experimental with
a great variety of devices for road
dragging, but has found the two-slab
log or plank drag with liberal "set
back" the most satisfactory. Double
drags for working both sides of the
roadway simultaneously have been
tried with only limited success. The
reason for this lies in the fact that
both sides of an earth road are never
exactly alike. This causes the two
parts of the drag to work unevenly
and to interfere with each other. It is
also impossible for one man to oper-
ate both parts successfully, as will be
shown later on.
Two mistakes are commonly made
in constructing drag. The first lies
in making it too heavy. 1t should be
so light that one man can easily lift it.
Besides, a light drag responds more
readily to various methods of hitching
and to the shifting of the position and
weight of the operator, both of which
are essential considerations and are
discussed more fully under the head
"How to use drag" A drag can be
made heavier at any time by proper
weighing. s.
The other mistake is in the use of
squared timbers, instead Of those with
sharp edges, whereby the cutting eff
feet of sharp edges is lost and the drag
is permitted to glide over instead of to
equalize the irregularities in the sur
face of the road. These mistakes are
due partly to badly drawn illustrations
and plans of drags which have occas
ionally appeared in newspapers and
partly to the erroneous idea that it is
necessary that large amount of earth
shall be moved at one time.
A dry red cedar log is the best ma
terial for a drag. Red elm and walnut
when thoroughly dried are excellent,
and box elder, soft maple, or even will
low are preferable to oak or hickory,
or ash.
The log should be Z or 8 feet long
and from 10 to IL inches in diameter,
and carefully split down the middle.
The heaviest and best slab should be
selected for the front. At point on
this front slab inches from the end
that is to be at the middle of the road
locate the center of the hole to receive
cross stake and % inches from the
other end of the front slab locate the
center for another cross stake. The
hole for the middle stake will lie on a
line connecting and halfway between
the other two. The back slab should
now be placed in position behind the
other. From the end which is to be at
the middle OF the road measure 20
inches for the center Of the cross