ROAD-DRAGS 487 



it works the best, and the effects of working it are fully as beneficial 

 as at any other time. The Nebraska soils, when mixed with water 

 and thoroughly worked become remarkably tough and impervious to 

 rain, and if compacted in this condition they become extremely hard. 



This action of the soil in becoming so hard and smooth not only 

 helps to shed the water during a rain, but also greatly retards the for- 

 mation of dust. 



What may be expected from the use of the drag. It often takes a 

 whole season for the road to become properly puddled and baked to 

 withstand the rains and traffic. After a road has been worked with 

 a drag only a short time, it is not well to expect it to stand up to 

 heavy traffic during a continued damp spell without being affected. 

 However, it will take far heavier traffic than most earth roads receive 

 to more than scuff up the surface. 



It is not well to consider the benefits from a good road as solely con- 

 fined to heavy traffic, for there is no doubt but that the time saved to 

 light vehicles and the greater pleasure derived from their use over good 

 roads far surpasses the economy in heavy hauling. 



While driving over a well-crowned-smooth road, the team does not 

 have to follow the usual rut, no slacking has to be made for irregular- 

 ities in the surface, and it matters not whether one or two horses are 

 being driven. 



The split-log road-drag (D. W. King). 



Two mistakes are commonly made in constructing a split-log drag. 

 The first lies in making it too heavy. It should be so light that one 

 man can easily lift it (Fig. 20). 



The other mistake is in the use of squared timbers, instead of those 

 with sharp edges, whereby the cutting effect of sharp edges is lost and 

 the drag is permitted to glide over instead of to equalize the irregular- 

 ities in the surface of the road. These mistakes are due partly to 

 badly drawn illustrations and plans of drags which have occasionally 

 appeared in newspapers, and partly to the erroneous idea that it is 

 necessary that a large amount of earth shall be moved at one time. 



A dry red cedar log is the best material for a drag. Red elm and 

 walnut when thoroughly dried are excellent, and box elder, soft maple, 

 or even willow are preferable to oak, hickory, or ash. 



The log should be seven or eight feet long and from ten to twelve 



