The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-14
SMOOTH ROADS.

The traffic on earth and gravel roads
has constant tendency to develop
ruts, chuch holes, and depress1ons.
The chief aim and purpose of road
maintenance is to prevent and rem
edy this destructive action. To be
successful and efficient, road mainten-
ance must be systematic and continu-
Gus. Haphazard work is expensive
and unsatisfactory.
If the road is very rough and un-
even or the crown very low the road
machine 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 9th
er vegetable matter and refuse from
the sides and bitches on to the road
in general, on the clay and heavy soil
roads all vegetable or spongy mater
fal 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 pos.
sible-material which will pack and
consolidate under traffic and which
will be as nearly water proof as pos
sible and will wear uniformly.
In general the road machine or
grader should be used in the spring
of the year while the sround is moist
and in such condition that it will wort,
easily and at the same time pack
we'll under passing traffic. Consider
able skill and judgment is required TO
use the road grader to the best adj
vantage. An unslsilled and careless
operator will some times actually
leave the road in a worse condition
than when he began work. Do not
scrape sod and refuse into the road.
Good earth is far better as 1t will not
decay nor absorb moisture so readil-.
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 alb
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 passing traffic
When the road has been placed In
good condition as to crown and
the road drag Is the best
tool for maintaining it in that condi-
ton. DraE the road after each rain
WINE IhS 10 oIlii IholSI c"S
not sticky. Use light drag and
move only very little earth-just
sufficient to fill the ruts and depres-
sions and lea-e slight surplus if the
crown is low. Ride on the drag and
shift your position according to the
of earth necessary to be
moved. If the rain has been of long
duration it may be advisable to drag
ho TUT Rrct altar
the rain, and again when the clay Is
driving out or beginning to set.
Do not drag a dry road. Successful
dragging is dependent on a certain
amount Of water or moisture in the
road surface. Practically all clays and
most soils. If not too sandy, Will
puddle IL worked when wet, and on
drying out will set very hard. The
drag in connection with traffic IS es-
sentially a pudding machine, which
when properly used, leaves the road
surface crowned and covered with a
smooth layer of puddled and denselv
packed soil This layer Is as nearly
impervious to water as it is possible
to make it. Following rains find little
or no place for Judgement, as the wat
err quickly runs off to the side bitches.
Unless the rain is long continued tina
road surface is not softened to any
great depth. The prompt use OF the
drag after each rain leaves the sur
face smooth and ready to Withstand
the next storm.
Therefore, to make your ROAD
smooth. use a road machine or grader
to put it in proper shape in the spring
of the year. To keep your road
smooth. use the road drag judiciously
after each rain. This will keep an
earth or gravel road in the best shape
in which it is possible to maintain 1t
throughout the year.
PETROLEUM PRODUCTION.