Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-04-05
TO Make and
KEEP ROADS DRY
Good Drainage For Earth and
Gravel Highways.
DRAG AFTER EACH RAIN.

Ruts Should Be Kept Filled and the
Road Crowned With Slope Toward
fourths TO Ons Inch to the Foot.
Keep Side bitches Clean.
Water plus clay or ordinary earth,
when mixed. invariably forms mud.
On ordinary earth roads the rains and
melting snow furnish the water and
the passing traffic the mixing, and the
result is muddy roads. Take away the
water or prevent II from mixing with
the clay or earth OH the road surface
and little or no mud will result. In
other words, keep your road dry IL you
wish 1t to remain hard, smooth and
free from mud.
Except In very sandy or arid regions
good drainage is the cardinal principle
In the maintenance Of earth and gravel
roads. Get the water away from the
road as quickly and completely as pos
sible. Water naturally seeks the low
est level. You cannot keep the water
from falling on the road, but you can
assist It's natural inclination to get
away to lower level Keep the ruts
filed and the road crowned with a
slope toward the side bitches Of from
three-fourths to one inch to the foot
and the water will not collect on the
road and soak In, and be mixed to mud
by passing traffic. Keep the side
bitches clean and with frequent out
lets to get the water away from the
road entirely. Do not let the culverts
clog up or material accumulate in the
bitches and hold back pools Of water
to soak into and soften the foundation
Of your road. Water Is an enemy that
will run away If you give it chance
Do not neglect to give 1t every chance.
Like most other enemies, water Is
not very destructive or dangerous I'M
til it collects In force. Therefore get
the water away from your road at ev
cry available opportunity and before
it has time to collect in sufficient vol
ume to be dangerous to the road, and
do not invite certain disaster by maxi
ing your culverts too small to care for
the largest possible storm. Further
more. build the culverts SO that the
water will Of necessity flow through
them and not find way around or be-
meath them. Properly designed sub
stantial wing and end walls are the
Notifications which protect the culvert
from attack and destruction during Sc
we're storms. Do not build dry wealth
er culverts; build them with view to
caring for and protecting the road dur
ing the worst possible storms.
Make your road dry, build 1t hard
and compact with crown sufficient to
shed water rapidly to the side bitches
and with ample culverts and drains.
To keep your road dry maintain the
drainage in good condition. Drag your
roads after each rain. Dragging fills
in the ruts, smooths the surface and
maintains the crown. On road which
has been properly dragged the raj
finds no place to collect and soak into
and soften the surface. Unless the
rain is Of long duration the surface Is
soetened but very little. AS soon as
the rain has ceased and the road sur
face dried so that the clay is not
sticky. but while 1t is still plastic, drag
the road again. ANY depression or ruts
which have been formed during and
after the rain are thus filled and the
surface smoothed up and plastered
over with thin plaster Of clay or
earth which packs and becomes very
hard under passing traffic. Therefore
in order to make and keep your road
dry first provide for good drainage and
then maintain the good drainage by
systematic dragging after each rain.
Diligent attention to these points will
in general insure an earth road fairly
passable at all times and very good
most Of the time-Southern Good
Roads.