DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



123 



There should be some inducement to encourage farmers to drag tn . 

 roads adjoining their property. 



Road Machinery. 



The common scoop scraper, owing to its small size, is adapted only 

 to side work and not to hauling dirt for any distance. The larger sizes 

 of wheel scrapers are to be recommended for short hauls of not over 

 300 feet. In filling them, a snap team or second team is of great value, 

 as all scrapers will then be loaded to full capacity, and will not go half 

 loaded. 



The blade road grader or reversible grader is well adapted to finish- 

 ing a road after the cuts and fills have been taken care of by the 

 wheelers. To do good work this machine must be handled by a skillful 

 operator and pulled by trained teams. 



The common practice still found in different states of allowing each 

 individual to work out his taxes by placing his team in connection with 

 several others, before a grader, and driving it himself is very expensive. 

 By this method it takes from three to five men to operate the grader 

 and very little work is done because the teams are not trained to work 

 together. One skilled driver with trained teams will do twice as much 

 work at very much less cost. 



The elevating grader can be used successfully in filling wagons for 

 hauling at a distance. They are also adapted to the building of high 

 grades. Trained workmen and teams are also necessary to the success- 

 ful operation of this machine. For ordinary road grading purposes this 

 machine cannot compete with the reversible or blade grader. 



Education on Modern Road Building a Necessity. 



There is no other one question at the present time on which we 

 need instruction more than on modern road building. The method of 

 road construction and maintenance as carried out in eastern states is not 

 entirely adapted to use in our Western states. The principles, however, are 

 the same, but in order to adapt them to our best use, it is necessary 

 to study our conditions and build our roads accordingly. 



The old method of allowing each tax payer to work out his own tax 

 under a road overseer is expensive. Two experts with trained teams 

 will do more than twice as much work as four or five untrained men 

 with the same number of teams and at no more expense. 



We need road speciaHsts. Our present day methods of road build- 

 ing are entirely too expensive. Old methods of road building can be 

 greatly improved. We must educate our own road builders. 



We believe this can be accomplished by the establishment of good 

 roads schools in connection with the various State Agricultural Colleges. 

 Special appropriations should be secured from the various state legisla- 

 tures for the support of these schools. 



Road specialists should be in charge of these schools. The in- 

 struction given should cover the best methods of building and main- 



