La Junta tribune., 1917-04-26
TO MAKE and
keep ROADS DRY
Good Drainage For Earth and
Gravel Highways.
DRAG AFTER EACH RAIN.

Ruts Should ee Kept Filled and the
Road Crowned With Slope Toward
the Side bitches Of From Three
fourths to One Inch to the Foot.
Keep Side bitches Clsan.
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 ON the road surface
and little or no mud Will result. In
other words, keep your road dry II You
wish 1t to remain hard. smooth and
free from mud.
Except In very sandy or arid regionS
good drainage Is the cardinal principlr
In the maintenance OF earth and grave
roads. Get the water away from The
road as quickly and completely as pos
siblc. Water naturally seeks the low
est level You cannot keep the water
from falling on the road. but you can
assist Its natural inclination to gct
away to n lower level. Keep the ruts
filled and the road crowned With
slope toward the side ditchcs 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,
let's 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 IL an enemy that
will run away II you give II chance
DO not neglect TO give It every chance.
Like most other enemies, water l.
not very destructive or dangerous un.
I'll II collects In force. Therefore get
the water away from your road ut ey.
cry available opportunity and before
II has time to collect In sufficient vol.
ume TO be dangerous to the road. and
do not invite certain disaster by max
Ing your culverts too small to care for
the largest possible storm. Further
more. build the culverts SO that the
water Will OF necessity fow through
them and not find "A way around or le
meath them. Properly designed sub
stantlal wing and end walls are the
fortifications which protect the culvcrt
from attack and destruction during Sc
we're storms. DO not build dry wealth
er culvcrts: build them with n view 10
caring for and protecting the road dur
Ing the worst possible storms.
Make your road dry. build II hard
and compact with crown sufficient to
shed water rapidly TO the side dltches
and with ample culvcrts and drains.
/ To keep your road dry maintaln the
drainage In good condition. DRAG your
roads after each rain. Dragging Ills
In the ruts. smooths the surface and
maintains the crown. On n road which
has been properly dragged the rain
finds no place to collect and soak into
AMI soften the surface. Unless the
rain II Of long duration the surface IL
softened but very little. As soon as
I toU sAAS 'Inrsu ohu 'hs i'"' 'es
face dried so that the clay Is not
sticky. but while II Is still plastic, drag
the road again. Any depression or ruts
which have been formed during and
after the rain are thus filed and the
surface smootbed up and plastesed
over with 4 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 20 these points will
IN general insure mn earth road fairly
passablc At all times and very good
most Of the time.-Southern Good
Roads.