The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1915-07-16
How to Make and Keep the
Roads Smooth.

The traffic on earth and gravel roads
has constant tendency TO develop
ruts, chuck holes, and depressions. The
chief aim and purpose of road mainten-
ance is to prevent and remedy this
destructive action. To be successful
and efficient, road maintenance must be
systematic and continuous. Haphazard
work is expensive and unsatisfact
If the road is very rough and uneven
or the crown very low the roadmachine
or grader is very efficient for placing it
In shape. One must guard, however,
against the all too common practice of
scraping the sod and other vegetable
matter and refuse from the sides and
bitches on to the road in general, on
the clay and heavy soil roads all vege-
table or spongy material should be
carefully excluded. Such materials
absorb moisture readily and furnish but
little resistance against wear. The
road surface should be built up with
the best material possible material
which will pack and consolidate under
traffic and which will be as nearly
water proof as possible and will wear
uniformly.
In general the road machine or grad
er should be used in the spring of the
year while the ground is moist and in
such condition thst it will work easily
and at the same time pack well under
passing traffic. Considerable skill and
judgement is required to use the road
grader to the best advantage. An un-
skilled and careless operator will some
times actually leave the road in worse
condition than when he began work
Do not scrape sod and refuse into the
road. Good earth is far better as it will
not decay nor absorb moisture so
readily. Do not be guilty of the too
common practice Of leaving windrow
of clods or loose earth along the middle
of your road to impede traffic and ab-
sorb water at the first rain. Leave
the roads smooth over the entire sur
face and traffic will spread and be less
likely to produce ruts. Always use the |
grader in such way as to make the
road better and not worse for the pass
ing traffic.
When the road has been placed in
good condition as to crown and smooth
ness the road drag is the best tool for
maintaining it in that condition. Drag
the road after each rain while the sur
face is still moist but not sticky. Use
a light drag and move only very little
earth-just sufficient to fiji the ruts
and depressions and leave a slight
surplus if the crown is low. Ride on
the drag and shift your position accord
ing to the amount of each necessary to
be moved. If the rain has been of long
duration it may be advisable to drag
the road twice; first very soon after
the rain, and again when the clay is
trying out or beginning to set.
Do not drag dry road. Successful
iragging is dependent on a certain
amount of water or moisture in the
'oad surface. Practically all clays and
most soils. if not too sandy, will puddle
If worked when wet, and on drying out
will set very hard. The drag in con-
iection with traffic is essentially pud-
ling machine, which. when properly
lsed, leaves the road surface crowned
md covered with smooth layer of
'uddled and densely packed soil. This
aver is as nearly impervious to water
s it is possible to make it. Following
aims find little or no place for lodge
nent. as the water quickly runs off to
he side bitches. Unless the rain is
ong continued the road surface is not
oftened to any great depth. The
'iompt use ef the drag after each rain
caves the surface smooth and ready to
the next storm.
Therefore. to make your road smooth,
se a road machine or grader to put it /
q proper shape in the spring of the +
ear. To keep your road smooth, use /
be road drag iudiciously after each q
ain. This will keep an earth or gravel n
Dad in the best shape in which it is pos h
ble to maintain it throughout sheyear.