UK 13
Vpl. V.
LINCOLNTON, N. C. FRIDAY. JUNE 23, 1911.
No. 50
How To Treat Dirt Roads.
Dr. Pratt Offers Some Good Advice---Care Should
. Be Taken With Locationr--What a Road. Drag
Will Do Some Valuable Dont's.
By Dr. Joseph Hyde Pratt, State Geologist, in June dumber of
..." . Southern Good Roads.
When we stop to consider the
number of miles ..of road in any
county and compare this number
with the small number represent
ing the miles of specially surfaced
road, we can readily see that it Will
be a great many years prehaps,
generations before all or even
half, the public roads are surfaced
with macadam, or sand-clay. . For
this reason it is very important
that we should give very careful
Fig. 1. Dirt road that should be improved
consideration and thought to the
construction and maintenance of
the dirt road. -
When properly constructed, the
dirt road can be kept in good con
dition throughout nearly the whole
year, except, perhaps, during
periods of severe freezes and thaws.
At the present time we have 'very
few earth roads but what can be
improved, and usually the question
of the improvement is not a very
Fig. 2.
Road with steep grade (average 10 per cent.) -Travel made more dif
ficult by uneven surface of road; large stones project above the road.
difficult one to solve. " t
The old idea that anybody can
build a dirt road is fast losing
ground, and our people are begin
ing to realize that road' construct
tion, even of dirt road, requires
the services of men who have been
trained in this line of work. As
careful thought should be given
to the construction of dirt roads
as is given to the hard . surfaced
roads; and in those counties which
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, er; and when this is necessary
Pig. 3. Surface ditch in dirt mad fr carrying water from one side to thother. Jt should be carried under the Sur
Tbese ditches should not be used, and the water should ibeoarrled under fact, Hj- ne romj (,y raeans of either
the surface by means of a culvert. ' ' ... . . .. ,
y """V" '-" - 'V concrete, metal, or terracotta cul-
rely on just the laboi tar for the
construction of their pnblio roads
a great advance can be made if
this labor tax is utilized under the
supervision of an experienced road
engineer. ,
The location of any public road
is the only permant portion of the
road ; therefore, great care should
be taken that when the road is
once constructed there should be
no; question whatever regarding
its relocation. In locating a road it
should be done so as to permit of
an easy grade none over 4 1-3
per cent and should be construct
ed so that it will readily shed the
100 percent, by use ol split log drag.
rainfall. How often we see a road
going np a hill and down the other
side, when, by building around the
side of the hill, it could have been
kept at an even grade,- leaching
the identical point within the
same distance, or but a little great
er " . V"
,lf, in grading a road, we have
any gradesver 4 13 per cent,- it
will be necessary" to construct
across ihe surface of the road a V-
shaped surface ditch to turn the
water off the surface of the road,
for if this is not done the water
will, with the grade over 4 13 per
cent, have momentum enough to
seriously gully -the surface of the
road. No matter how - carefully
these V shaped ditches across the
surface of a road are constucted,
they are very inconvenient to trav
el, are hard on the wagons, and
should be avoided whenever pos-
veita or pipe. The water should
sible. They chii be avoided if the ,, never be carried across the surface
grade is kept below 4 13 percent, of the road, for it keeps the surface
Iu tig 2,U illustrated a steep grade soft, is apt to flow down the sur
on a road iu Davidson county, N. face of the road unless prevented
0.NwhicQ could readily be eliinm-
A road where surface contains a
not be maintained properly.
ated by relocation of the road.
The surface of the road is nneven,
and large rocks . are projecting
above the surface. "Thank you-
mams" have been made across the
road to turn the water off the sur
face of the road, which add.a great
deal to the discomfort of travel
over this road. -
The dirt road is more susceptiple
to damage by water than, of course,
any of the specially surfaced roads;
therefore great pare should be takeu.
to work out an efficient system of
drainage for the road. Water
must be kept away from the road,
and the rain which falls on the
road must be permitted to run off
as rapidly as possible, pnd by a
very easy grade. It must not
only be taken off the surface of
Fig. 5.
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Pig. 6.
The. old way of throwing din from due lies on one side of road prevent
ing drainage from road into ditch. The scene is in Craven County.
the road as rapidly as possible, but
also out of the side ditches. Care
should.be taken that these side
ditches are not too steep, and that
every opportunity is seiz-d for
turning the water out of the ditches
into the adjoining fields.
Many Of our county roads are
bad because in their construction
no arrangement was made for tak:
ing care of thu water, and thus
they are very muddy and filled
with ruts and holes. Instead of
the middle of the road being
higher than the edges, so that the
water can.readily run off on - each
side, many of them are fiat,or even
concave, with the center of the
road the lowest point. If the road
has been constructed so thai it is
Fig. 7.
,1; ' "-
Wayne county farmer using the public toad ior a turning place ifor cultiva
tor thereby damaging the road. ,
well crowned, with theslope about
1 in 20 fronV the center of the
road to the side ditches, and these
ditches have been graded so as to
readily take care of the water, and
yet not steep enough to cause them
to cut deep gullies on the side of
the road, and if the water is. tak
en from these ditches at every
available point so as to prevent
seepage of water under the surface
I of the road, there should be little
I difficulty in keeping the road in
good condition. .Very often it
is
necessary to earry the water from
one side of the road tb the oth
by high rock, and is a great incon
Such a road can-
venience to travel. Fig. 3 shows a
surface ditch with lower side so
high that a heavily loaded team
wouH apt tu be stalled. Wooden
culverts should be avoided if pos
sible and where necessary, to use
them they should be made ufgood
timber and all planks securely nail
ed. They should be examined
constantly so that thev can be
kept iu good condition. The sur
face of the road should be kept as
near flush with the surface of the
culvert as possible. Fig. 4 is a
very poor form of culvert. .
After thesystem of drainage has
been installed, provisiou should be
made to keep it up, so that the
drains and the culverts will not
become stopped up.
y The surface of a dirt road
should be kept of dirt, and when
ever any holes orruti have devel
oped in the road, they should not
be filled up with stone, or- brush,
but with dirt, and with ' dirt as
nearly as possibly of the ame
character as the dirt composing the
surface of the balance of the road.
If, on the other hand, holes or ruts
are filled with rock, gravel, or
brush, the wearing effect will be
uneven, and the wheels will begin
to scoop and cut out holes just be
yond or on the- opposite sftie
of the road, from the hole filled
up. If there are stumps or rocks
in the road, they should all be re
moved, so that the dirt surface
can be smoothed over and brought
to an even slope from the center
to the ditches. Fig. 5, represents
a road that it is impossible to
maintain properly on account -of
the stumps. After the. road has
been well constructed and the
right slope and surface obtained,
it can be kept in this condition
very readily by judicious applica
tion of the split-log or King drag.
Fig. 8. This simple road ma-,
chine, if used regularly after a
rain when the roadbed is wet, will
smooth and shape up the road, so
, that as soon as it has dried out it
will be firm and hard. The drag
will fill up ; the ruts and holes and
will beep the dirt road in first
class condition, with hard surface
throughout nearly the whole year.
As moisture is very detrimental
to a dirt road, the sun should be
permitted to strike the surface of
a dirt road as much as posssible;
and, therefore, care should be tak
en not to have too much shade
along a dirt road, and, where ne-
(treat many stumps,
cessary, the trees should be cut
away so that the whole surface
of the road is exposed to the sun
for at least several hours during
the day. Shade U good for a ma
cadam road, but bad for a dirt
road.
In repairing a dirt road the same
thought must be given as in the
construction of the road, and, when
cleaning out ditches, the material
should not be thrown into the
middle of the road or on any part
of the surface of the road, but it
should be thrown . into ad
joining fields, for this material
is usually composed largely of
fine silt and vegatable material,
which holds moisture like a sponge
add becomes very difficult to dry
out, and is entirely different in
character and consistency from the
dirt surface of the road. How many
TOOLS TO MAM IT
A SAW, CHISEL,
Fig. 8.
times we have seen the dirt road
repaired by this material being
thrown--, up into the center or just
beyond the edge of the ditch, thus
preventing the surface water from
flowing into the ditches, and often
turning it down the road!
In the maintenance of our dirt
roads they should be. divided into
sections, with a foreman or Over
seer in charge of each section,
whose duties should be to go over
every mile of his section after every
raiu ard at least every two weeks,
and whenever he tiuds a portion of
the road needing repair, he should
have it done. After each heavy
rain he should run a road drag
over the road in order to bring it
into shape and fill up any ruts or
holes that might have been.started.
North Carolina Culvert Company's Cul
vert at Nelson, Duhlap County, N. C.
We must bear in mind that roads
will not maintain themselves, and
that repairing a road simply once
a year will not keep it in good
condition.
The cost of maintenance of the
public road is often increased by
the farmer using, the road as a
turning place when plowing
harrowing or cultivating their
fields. County and township road
commissioners should not permit
this as the farm implements carry
a certain amount of soil . into the
ditches and onto the road. Fig. 7,
illustrates this use of the public
road which should be prohibited.
In repairing a dirt road:
Don't fill up the holes and ruts
in the dirt road with brush, with
rocks on top, and a little dirt to
cover the rocks; but fill up the hole
with dirt of the same character as
the balance of the road. Don't
throw all the refuse from ditches
into the middle of the road, thus
softening the surface and destroy
ing the solid firm bed that you have
obtained by previous work; but
throw this material out on the op-
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posite side of the ditch.
Don't leave the center of the
road the lowest point; but make it
the highest and give the surface of
the road a slope of about 1 in. 20 to
the side ditch.
Don't carry the water across the
surface of the road from one side to
the other; but carry it by means
of culverts underneath the road.
Don't have grades on your road
over 4 1-3 per cent; for if you do
it will be necessary to build V
shaped surface ditches or "Thank
you mam's" across the road.
Don't, in working out the labor
tax on the roads, try to make a
holiday ot it; but give an honest
day's work on the road. Let us
eliminate what is often seen in
those sections where the roads are
maintained by labor tax ten or
twelve men and an overseer, a little
mil OF MATERIAL
PIECES 4r'XIO'-7' LUNG
2 Z'X6"-56 '
o: ', - rx6"S6 -
MAILS
.2 or 6ol
lot..
grey mule, a small plow, six dogs,
three or four guns, and a few tools
which often are not considered
worth using at home. This road
force is not only hard on the rab
bits, but also hard on the roads.
Don't reject the split log drag
because it is a cheap road machine
but use it constantly, for it is the
most efficient road machine that
we can use in maintaining the dirt
road. Fig. 8.
LOWESVILLE NEWS.
June 19. Despite the dry, hot
weather cotton is looking fine.
Some corn has begun to show need
of rain. Most farmers say wheat
is light. -Many of our young peo
ple attended an ice cream supper
at Mr. Will Long's at Triangle,
last Saturday night. Master Fred
son of Mr. Chas. Henkel, cut a bad
gash in his foot while chopping
stove wood, "the other day. Mr.
W. L. Edwards gave an ice cream
supper to a large number of young
people last Friday night. Mr.
Tyner and his sister Miss Iiobena
Mcintosh of Lucia, spent last Fri
day night at the home of their
aunt Mrs. F. C. Mcintosh and at
tended the ice creamsupper. Mr.
I. C. Lowe, one of our own hust
ling merchants, has offered a prize
for every home run knocked by the
Lowesville boys this season. So far
he has nothad to give away one
but several of our boys hit for
three sacks last Saturday, and had .
ti j
Ruff Williamson been a fast run
ner, hft donhtlesa would hstvp. an.
tured the first prize given. The
boys are playing good ball this
season, not having lost a single
game. In a one sided game here
last Saturday pur boys defeated ...
Alexis by a score of 23 to 4.
The visitors did not see home un
til the 6th when Nixou threw wild
from second to home and let one
score, then the local boys got care
less and let three more score.
Walter Nixon pitched for a shut
out while Carl Mcintosh did the
receiving. Fink McCbnnel played
errorless on first Lattie Nixon,
played likewise on second with the
exception of one wild throw.
Frank Henkel fumbled with one
on short Charley Hagar was on
his toes at third and let nothing
pass. Wiley and Harve Duck
worth and Buff Williamson kept
the ball from touching the ground
in the outfield.
Thf features of tha crump, vprn
the pitching of Nixon and the all
round batting of the Lowesville
boys, and the pitching of Ken
nedy in the last half of the game
for Alexis. Batteries: Nixon and
Mcintosh, Kennedy and Saddler.
Look out for a hot game next Sat
urday.
The annual picnic will be on the
the 28 and 29th of July this year.
A play "The girl from' Triangle
Ranch" will be played Saturday
night July 29. Mr. R. O. Kin
ciad made a business trip to On tr
lotte Tuesday,
Success to the News. X.