The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-05-24
DRAG, BROTHER, DRAG

| Nlnety-CWo per cent OF all the pup
lie roads in Missouri are dirt roads
When properly graded these road
can best be maintained by using roat
drags. Here are some simple (elec
tric) rules for the proper dragging o.
earth roads:
/. DRAG AT THE RIGHT TIME
The right time to drag a road is al
soon as possible after every rain
when the soil is mellow and pulveriz
es readily. Do not drag when tn,
soil sticks to the drag or do not wal
until the soil is too dry before you
drag.
2. DRAG EARLY IN THE SPRING
as soon as the frost is out of tn,
ground. Dragging a muddy stretcl
of road will aid in drying it out, since
the wind and sun will have freer &C
cess to the thin layer of saturated
soil which the drag spreads out ovel
the surface of the road.
3. DRAG BEFORE 1T FREEZES
A road dragged before it freezes il
the fall, will freeze smooth and us
ually remain in this condition for some
time. The general condition of the
road in the spring after winter drag.
ging will be remarkably good.
A. DRAG A GRAVEL ROAD
WHEN WET. A gravel road should
be dragged, as a rule, soon after a
rain when the soil is wet but not toe
saturated. 1t will be found that the
gravel can be worked better when in
wet condition.
npAC pETWEENJ cJIoJrI DEpc
When a road is badly cut up over the
entire surface, two complete round
trips should be made with the drag,
The first trip should be made along
the edge of the shoulder. The second
trip should be made inside and slight
ly overlapping the first. This will
take up any excess material left by
the first round and will aid in build
ing up the crown.
6. RIDE THE DRAG. Under or
binary conditions the driver should
ride his drag. He will soon be able to
adjust his position so as to produce
the desired effect. By standing on
the forward edge, the drag may be
made to cut deeper and vice versa. A
long hitch causes down pull and thus
increases the depth of the cut while
short hitch tends to lift up on the
front blade and decrease the depth
of the cut.
7. CARRY PICK AND SHOVEL
The driver should always carry a pick
and shovel on his drag. He will find
these very useful in opening water
courses, filling mud holes and chuck
holes, repairing washed places anc
digging up rocks.
8. DRAG OFTEN. Do not try tc
build road with the drag. Its use
is to maintain the surface of the road
which is already constructed in q
smooth condition. The best results
are obtained by repeated dragging.
9. USE OF A LIGHT DRAG. One
mistake made in building drag is tx
use timbers in the construction Of the
blades which have too wide a face
A drag in this fashion will pass over
the irregularities in the road instead
of smoothening them out.
10. SUCCESSFUL ROAD DRAG
GING REQUIRES EXPERIENC E
Dragging a road is business that is
best learned in the school of practi.
cal experience. Every man engaged
in dragging must become an enthusi
astic and observant student of thu
road to be dragged if he desires tt
produce results.
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