Show how to build and use the splitlog split log di drag ag one 0 of f the latest p publications issued by the e office of public 1 f 1 roads 0 a S of the united states department part ment of agriculture hure treats of the split splitlog log drag an i implement which numbers of experiments have conclusively shown to io be the greatest creates t possible boon to keep earth roads smooth and passable because of its sini sim p city its efficiency and its iab cheapness both in construction I 1 and 0 operation pe ration it is destined to come ino more renild anul 1 more into general use with the drag properly i bu built ailt and its use well understood nde r the maintenance of earth roads becomes a diio pl and iu hi expensive 1 matter matte i 0 zt at t the lie presen present t time there bare are app approximately I 1 miles a of f en earth r t roads in hi the united states stales some botne of the most important of these roads will even dually be improved with stone gravel alid other materials many others ot hers which are equally important cannot be so improved on oil account of la lack ck of funds or suitable materials while still others will wil L not require such treatment beca because use of the light traffic I 1 0 are ed for these reasons the ma ina V ib bority r i t y of our roads must lindst b be 6 k maintained as an aa earth rth roa roads ds f for 0 r many ye irs to conic come this must be done isy by expensive methods and the alie splitlog split log drag will be a powerful aid if ff economy is tile the criterion demanded in the afe co construction ou of this implement care cafe should be taken id make inake it so light liblit that one man inan can lift it with ease a I 1 light ig 6 ii t drag respond responding in g moro 11 readily adaily to carinus meth methods ads 0 of f hitching than a heavy one as well vell as to tile he shirting shifting 0 of f the A era toc the taj best material for a splitlog split log drag is a 11 1 dry red cedar log though red elm elin and walnut t are ar e excellent excel leiA and box elder soft maple or even willow tee are superior to fo oak hickory or oi I 1 asli ts 1 I 1 the 10 log lo g should be between hancl 10 feet lon long 9 and from 10 to 12 inches binche s in ift diameter at the butt end it should be split carefully as near nea r thi the e center its as possible and the lie heaviest i laviest and best slab chosen for foe the front fro nt rii in the front sla slab b 4 inches f from ron the end which is to dradi in fi tile the middle of the road bore it a 2 inch hole which is to receive a cross stake at a dist distance aiice of 22 inches from the other end of the front slab locate the center for another cross z stake the lible forlee for the middle stake will be on oil a line bile connecting and halfway between the two then place the be back slab in position ol 01 und from the end which is to drag i in 1 n the middle of the road measures 20 inches for the cen ter of one cross stake and 6 inches ches 8 from the other end locate the center of the opposite stake the hole for the center stake should be located halfway between the two Allt all aliese 1090 holes should be carefully bored perpendicular cular or at right angles to the face fa ce of the split log if these directions direct fons are followed it will be found that when the holes of the front and back slabs are brought opposite each other one end of the back slab will bu 16 inches nearer the center of tile roadway than talan the front one that gives what is known as tl efa e t back the stakes which are 30 inches long r 1 I 1 will wi ill hold the slabs this distance apart when the stakes have been firmly wedged into their sockets abracen a brace about 2 inches thick and 4 inches wide may be placed diagonally diagonal to them at the ditch end of tho drag A cler cited board is i i placed between the slabs and across the stakes for the driver to stand on by many it is deemed bi best es t to 0 place a snip of ii iron on aoi along ig yi the e lower face of the front slat slab for fora a cutting blade and to prevent the drug drag from wearing the d dra tag may be faste fastened d to tile tho double crees rees by means of a trace chain chaill Th echain should be wrapped ap pp ed around the lefthand left hand or rear rea r stake and passed over the j front slab raising the chain at this end of the slab permits the earth to drift past ill the face of the d drag rag the other end of the chain a should be passed through a hole in in the opposite end oatlie of the front slab and held by apin passed R through brough a link I 1 for ordinary purposes the aich should be so made that un loaded drag will follow the tea team in at an angle of about 45 degrees the team should be driven with one horse on either the right hand wheel track or rut the full length of the portion to be dragged and made to return in the same saine manner over the other half of the roadway such ouch Q treatment will move inove the earth towards the center of tile the roadway and raise it gradually above the surrounding level the best results have been beebi obtained by dragging roads once each way after each heavy rain rain in iii some cases however one I 1 dragging 0 every three or four weeks has ha 4 been fo found u nd sufficient to 0 o keep a road in goo good d condition V when the soil ie i moist but noi sticky tile the drug drag does its best worl As theroh lin in afield a field will bake il ii sloughed ploughed hed d wot wet so the road wilt bake if the drag is used on oil it when it is wet if the roadway is full of holes or badly i lutted the drag should be used once when the ground is soft and ana slushy this is is particularly particular applicable before a cold spell ll 11 in winter when it is possible to so prepare the surface that it will freeze smooth not infrequently conditions are met inet which may be overcome ba b a slight 0 change n in the mannor manner of hitching shortening the chain tends to lift the front slab and make tho the cutting slight while a longer hitch causes tho the front slab to sink more deeply into the earth and act on the principal of a plow if a furrow of earth is to be moved tile iho double trees should be attached close to the ditch end odthe of the drag and the driver should stand with one foot on oil the extreme forward end of the fro front n t slab conditions are so barid in different fe rent localities however that it is quite imposible impossible impo sible to lay down specific rules certain sections of a roadway will require more quention tuan bothers jo beca because tise of steep grades wet weather 7 TI s brings pr ings mrs soil gond conditions i exposure to sun it and n d wind washes vas hes etc there theres is one condition however in 0 which spec special itil attention ioa should he be given clay roads goads under persi persistent stert dragging frequently become too high in the ach e cen center ter this may be corrected by dragging the earth towards the center of the road twice and away from it once ia there is no question quentio n as to tile the econ economy oiny of this rod m making aisig implement either ir ii 1 first cost or in operation in ill six coun counties tits in kansas in 1906 the cost of maintaining ordina ordinary ry earth roads without the aid of tile the splitlog split log drag averaged a mile these thed figures were fur dished by professor IV C I load hoad of the university of kansas who secured them hem t from official records of the counties some figures furnished by F P sanborn and R H Ais aishton liton general manager of f the chicago and northwestern north western railroad Eail road have revealed tile wonders of this sim pie device mr sanborn said the least expensive per mile annum for split splitlog log dragging was the greatest a little over aver 6 and tho average elpe expense n so per mile for 51 5 miles a little over 3 1 I have lived along this road all my iny life and never in 40 years ars have I 1 seen it free f from rom i mud licud and dust despite the fact fab t li hufe at durin during g the season we have bave experienced the ex extremes of wea 11 ther e r conditions efio testimony of mr Ais aishton liton is equally stron strong g learning ihk that it i township towi iship in iowa had been anakin making an investigation of the splitlog split plit log drag and had be been en ex peri bonting with it for a year on oil 28 miles of highway he soot sint an all agent to secure information it was reported that although the town board had paid the cost of making the drags and of hiring biring non nen to operate them thena the total expense for one year averaged r a g red but V 40 a mile and the roads were reported to have been like a race track tile tho greater portion of the year |