Show ROAD BUILDING I DIRT ROADS CARE IN SPRING I Proper Drainage Is Chief Essential In I Maintenance Road Maintenance Road Drag Is ls Especially Useful I The cardinal cl essential In spring maintenance of or earth roads especially those on heavy henvy soils Is ts good drainage So long as the water can be kept from penetrating deeply Into these roads they will remain at least fairly passable To accomplish this on average average aver aver- age earth roads however Is far tar from easy During the early part of this season reason of the year rains are often otten of long duration and tend to saturate the soil soU Water from melting snows Is perhaps even more penetrating than long continued rains while alternate fr freezing and thawing of ot the wet s surface surface sur sur- r face tends to increase the porosity of or orthe the soil and permit even more read ready access of water Into the foundation The chief attention of the road man must therefore be directed toward getting and keeping the water away from the road So long as the foundation foundation tion can be kept dry even a n heavy freeze followed by n a rapid thaw will do little or no real damage to the road surface A dry soil does not heave The foundation will therefore still be solid saUd and the road will be able to sustain the traffic without serious rut rut- ting On the other hand a saturated soil oll expands greatly on freezing and anel when At thaws out has not only lost practically all power of sustaining the weight of traffic but also Is in an nn ideal condition for taking up or absorbing still more water and thus thue forming still more mud Curing the early part o 0 J the season as ns long as the weather Is very rainy Or pr r there is melting snow on the ground It will pay to have the road man go over the road dally daily to see that the drains and side ditches do not become clogged and to note the need of any necessary repairs A few lew minutes' minutes work with a shovel may prevent a serious serious serious se se- se- se rious washout or damages which If It not promptly checked might make the road practically Impassable The road drag or some other similar device finds Its greatest usefulness during this season It may be used to good advantage to clear the roadway roadway road road- way of slush cud melting snow and so prevent this water from soaking Into j 5 4 s Drag Most Useful In Spring and softening the To fill ruts smooth the surface and maintain the crown of the road the drag Is un unexcelled unexcelled excelled when in the hands hands' of a skilled operator An unskilled man may do more harm than good Furthermore Furthermore Fur Fur- the actual condition of the theroM road roM during this period will depend very very- largely on the knowledge of the road man as to just when to drag as aswell aswell well w ell as his skill in the operation of the implement In addition to the maintenance provisIon provision provision pro pro- vision should be made for doing all necessary grading or earth work vork as early In the spring as ns possible In order order or or- der that It may become thoroughly consolidated consolidated con can before the dry weather of summer Bummer If It the work Is I Idone done too late the road will not only probably become become be come very dusty In n dry weather but butwill butwill butwill will need additional attention later In Inthe inthe th the fall tall Where the soil Is a heavy clay or gumbo the condition of the road may be very materially Improved by adding sand from time to time as that already on the road Is worked In by the passing traffic and the drag |