Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-10-28
kETTER HENDERSON COUNTY
ROAD MAINTENANCE URGED.
Advocates of Good Roads Report That
Maintenance Problem is Being
Treated Too Lightly.

There is considerable talk in Hen.
derson county about road maintenance.
Some contend that the roads, and a
finer system Road Supervisor p. F.
Patton said he didn't see in the road
( inspection tour over nine western
states during the past month, are not
getting proper attention so as to keep
them in good condition during the win
ter months. -.-@-
The following item from the Press
Bulletin of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture should be consid-
/ cred good authority:
There is no phase of the road prob
lem more important than that of main
tenance. The general impression that
! there are certain types of roads that
are permanent is erroneous. No per-
manent road has ever been construct.
ed or ever viii be..., The only things
about road that may be considered
permanent are the grading, culverts
and bridges. Roads constructed by
the most skillful highway engineers
4 will soon be destroyed by the traffic,
/ frost, rain, and wind, unless they are
properly maintained. But the life of
these roads may be prolonged by sys-
tomato maintenance. A poor road
will not only be Improved by proper
maintenance, but may become better
/ in time than good road without IT, -
i Tie first and last commandment IN
earth road maintenance is to keep the
EsUrfaee well drained. To insure good
1 dl ainage the bitches should be kept
Iopen. all obstructions removed and
smooth. crown maintained. Except for
very stony soil the road machine or
scraper may be used very effect Veiy,
for this work. The machine should
Re used once or twice a year and the
work should be done when the soil is
camp so that it will pack into hard
crust. Wide and shallow side bitches
should be maintained with sufficient
fall and capacity to dispose of surface
.Eater. These bitches can in most
places be constructed and repaired
with road machine. -
/ A split-log drag or some similar de-
vice is very useful in maintaining the
surface after suitable bitches and cross
section have once been secured. The
drag should be light and should be
drawn over the road as an angle of
about 45 degrees. The driver should
ride on the drag and should not drive
faster than a walk One rd4nd trip,
each trip straddling a wheel track, is
10 LII Iu0 FuLS anu
smooth the surface. If necessary the
road should be dragged 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 very wet and again when it be-
gins to dry out. A few trips over the
road will give the operator an idea as
to the best time to drag. Drag at all
seasons but do not drag a dry road.
The slope or crown of an earth road
should be about one inch to the foot.
If the crown becomes too high it may
be reduced by dragging toward the
ditch instead Of from it. If the drag
cuts too much, shorten the hitch and
change your position on the drag. If
it is necessary to protect the face Of
the drag with strip of iron. it should
4 be placed flush with the edge of the
drag and not projecting. A cutting
edge should be avoided is to smear the
damp soil into position