HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Importance of Road Maintenance
f IIEBB is no phase of the road
I problem more important than that
of maintenance. The general im
pression that thero are certain types
of roads that are permanent is errone
ous. No permanent road has ever been
constructed or evor will be, accord
ing to the road specialists of the V. 8.
Department of Agriculture. The only
things about a road that may be con
sidered permanent are the grading, cul
verts and bridges. Roads constructed
by the most skillful highway engineers
will soon be destroyed by the traffic,
frost, rain and wind, unless they are
properly maintained. But tho life of
these roads may be prolonged by sys
tematic maintenance. A poor road will
not only bo improved by proper main
tenance but may become better in time
than a good road without it.
The fimt and last commandment in
earth road maintenance is to keep tho
surface woll drained. To insure good
' drainage the ditches should be kept
open, all obstructions removed and a
smooth crown maintained. Eicept for
vory Btony soil the road machine or
scraper may be used very effectively
for this work. Tho machine should
be ased once or twice a year and the
work should be done when tho soil is
damp so that it will pack and bake
into a hard crust. Wido and shallow
side ditches thould bo maintained with
sufficient fall and capacity to dispose
of surface water. These ditches can
Id most places be constructed and re
paired with a road machine.
All vegetable matter such as sodsJ
and weeds should be kept out of the
road as they make a spongy surface
which retains moisture. Clods are also
objectionable for they soon turn to
dust or mud and for that reason roads
should never be worked when dry or
hard. Boulders or loose stones are
equally objectionable if a smooth sur
face is to be secured.
A split-log drag or some similar de
vice is very useful in maintaining the
surface after suitable ditches and cross
sections have one been secured. This
drag can also be used to advantage
on a gravel road as well as on an
earth road. The principle Involved in
dragging is that clays and most heavy
soils will puddlo when wet and set
very hard when dry. The little atten
tion that tho earth road needs must
be given promptly and at tho proper
timo if the best results are to bo ob
tained. In dragging roads only a small
amount of earth is moved, just enough
to fill the ruts and depressions with
a thin layer of plastic clay or earth
whleh packs very hard so that the
next Tain, instead of finding ruts, de
pressions and clods in which to col
lect, runs off, leaving the rurface but
little affected.
The drag should be light and should
be drawn over the rnnd at an angle
of about 45 degrees. The driver should
ride on tho drag and should not drive
faster than a walk. One -round trip,
each trip straddling a wheel track,
is usually sufficient to fill the ruts
and smooth tho surface. If recessnry
the road should be dragged after every
bad spell of weather, when the soil
is in proper condition to puddle well
and still not adhere to the drag. If
the road is very bad it may be dragged
when very wet and again when it be
gins to dry out. A few trips over the
road will give the operator an idea
as to the best time to draw. Drag at
all seasons, but do not frag a diy
road.
The slope or crown of an earth road
should be about one inch to the foot.
If the crown becomes too high it may
be reduced by dragging toward the
ditch instead of from it. If the drag
cuts too much, shorten the hitch and
change your position on the drag. If it
is necessary to protect the face of the
drag with a strip of iron, it should be
placed flush with the edge of the drag
and not projecting. A cutting edge
should be avoided, as the main object
in dragging is to smear the damp soil
into position.
lenee trap rock, tough granite, chert,
tough limestone, ordinary lime, tough
sandstone.
GOOD BO ADS YEAR BOOK.
FUNDS available in all of the states
for the improvement of roads dur
ing the year 1914 are shown in the
Official Good Boads Year Book issued
by the American Highway Association,
which is ready for distribution. This
is one of the new features of the book
which will make it Invaluable to every
state, county and municipal highway
official.
Tho year book discloses for the first
time that appropriations by the state
legislatures for road improvement in
the various states are available to the
sum of (62,201,016. The year book lists
all of the patents relative to roads
and bridges, all road expenditures in
recent years, all associations' work for
road improvement, describes all the dif
ferent methods of road construction
and different road materials, giving
a directory of all road bulletins, cir
culars, and documents of Interest to
persons working for better highways
and for 'all officials engaged in super
vising work on roads. Sections of the
year book are devoted to work in
different states and the progress of
road improvement. One of the interest
ing features, for instance, is the de
scription of dust preventives, while
one chapter is devoted to convict labor
. and another to the financial phase of
road improvement A summary of the
road laws in the various states is of
particular interest to motorists, while
descriptions of specifications for high
ways in the various states will be of
Interest to engineers. There also is a
chapter devoted to important events
lit the road movement in 1913, and
another section devoted to road sys
tems ia foreign countries. The year
hook is issued annually by the Ameri
' eaa Highway Association as part of
its campaign to give the United States
an adequate system of improved high
ways. Price, $1, postpaid.
usual tone. As soon as the automobile
stops the alarm is Bet automatically,
and if anybody jumps 'into the machine
and tries to steal it the horn will set
np a fearful noise the moment the
wheels begin to turn, and will not stop
until the ear eomes to a standstill.
No thief would be daring enough to
jump into a car that would make itself
so conspicnons.
The new invention is proof against
carelessness on the part of the chauf
feur, because the moment he gets out
of the ear or stops it the alarm gets
into position and will give forth its
noisy blast unless the combination is
readjusted.
This device will bo a boon to owners
of cars whose ehauffeurs are in the
h'.bit of going out joy riding. A chauf
feur on a joy ride is liable to c-ink too
much and become very eareless, but
with the horn alarm on his machine
there ean be no chance for a thief to
slip away with it.
EE HABNESSES HIS AUTO.
J FRANK TBEE3, a farmer of
Braekenridge, Fa., makes a good
use of his high-power automo
bile, when he ia not out joy riding. He
uses it , to put hay into his mow.
Formerly the hay was raised by means
of a block and tackle and horsepower,
but it was lard work and the horses
had to be rested often. Now he fastens
the touring car to the block and tackle
by means of a "harness" he has de
vised, and can stow the hay away
twice as fast as formerly.
A HOVEL HORN.
ANEW device for protecting auto
' mobiles against robbers has been
invented, and it promises to put
t stop to the activities of the thieves
who have been stealing so many ears.
The new contrivance hai a powerful
horn, attachment with a weird and ua-
BOAD DEAENAGE.
THE first and prime essential of any
good Toad is drainage surface, sub
surface and side drainage. When
finished, the Toad must shed water. To
do this the road must be erowned from
to 1 of an inch to the foot, depend
ing on the wearing surface, and must
have an impervious or waterproof eov
ering. There must be an nnimpedec
slope from the erown to the gutter or
to the side ditch. The gutters or side
ditches have at least 4-10 of a foot fall
per 100 feet, and, if they are earthen
ditches, they should have i foot per
100 feet, and free drainage at frequent
intervals into natural creeks, channels,
or, is the ease of a city with a sewerage
system, into the sewers.
In order to drain away the sub sur
face water and prevent it from soften
ing the foundations, it is well to lay
two lines of tiles.
The second essential, which is an
essential of any structure, is l a good
foundation, and this is especially re
quired for roads where the loads are
concentrated on such small areas.
. Because macadam roads are more ex
pensive than gravel roads ia first cost,
they should be built very carefully. The
materials ia the order of then excel
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Hotel Benson
Formerly New Oregon
f 0W open tinder
I entire new manage
jmrm merit. In the re
I" finement of detail,
excellence of equipment
and superiority of service
is absolutely unexcelled.
Large, light, airy sample
rooms for commercial men.
Every convenience. Cen
bally located. Rates very
moderate. Dining room
service as heretofore. Auto
busses meet all trains.
Portland, Oregon
CARL S. STANLEY. Manager
C K1RKE DRURY, Asst. Mgr.
Automobile and Motorcycle
Owners
Punctures Repaired In One Minute
Write for Particulars
New and Inexpensive Device.
MANUFAOTUBEBS SALES CO.
Box 966, Portland, Ore.
Hotel Clifford
Eut Morrison and Sixth SbMt.
Modem tn tro? detail. Beit of Mrrie.
Rates bw weak from S8 up, by dsf SO eante
and np. 8ee the Clifford before folaf tlto
where.
ED. r. BEEVES, Proprietor.
Rowland Hotel & Annex
100 BOOMS -207J
209J Fourth Street.
Ono block from Court Ilouse.
Electric Lights, Steam Uoatf Hot and
Cold Water.
Bates 75c, $1.00 and $1.50 per day. '
Choap Weekly Bates.
HOTEL ACKLY
Corner Twelfth and Btuk Streets
Portland. Oregon.
RATES: '3.50 per week up. With pri
vet bath, $4.50 up.
CLEAN OUTRTDB ROOMS.
MODKUN UltlUK UUIUHNO.
HOTEL BUTLER
SEATTLE, WASH.
Under new management entire
change in all departments all rooms
redecorated and refurnished. Particu
lar attention is now I'eing paid to
prompt, efficient and courteous service.
DAILY BATES
$2.00 Up With Private Bath
$1.00 Up Without Private Bath
Hotel Butler Cafe
THE FINEST EN SEATTLE
Sorvico the Best Cuisine Unexcelled
BOBEBT J. BOBDISON
Manager. '
When In Seattle
TRYTHEFRYE
IT'S NEW
IT'S CLEAN
IT CAN'T BURN
LOCATION IS RIGHT
Only 3 Blocks From Depots
and Docks.
THE RATES ARE RIGHT
$1.00 Per Day and Up.
THE PRYE IS THE RIGHT
HOTEL FOR YOU.
"IT LOOKS LIKE A HOTEL"
That'a What They All Say.
q)ic
mils
Overlooking The Ocean
SEASIDE CLATSOP BEACH OREGON
TjOTEL MOORE is situated directly on the Pa
cific Ocean shore, and is the only hotel thus
located. Spacious Dining Rooms and Parlors, wide
encircling Verandas and Colonaded Porches. Even
bedroom windows all command Inspiring Views of.
the foaming surf and grand marine pictures. Rooms
with or without Baths.
fl Open all year, Hot Salt Baths, Sea Poods are a spe
cialty of the cuisine, and everything is strictly first-class