“How to Improve
Roads” reprinted
from the Progressive Farmer magazine
in the Thursday, June 23, 1910, issue of the Watauga Democrat.
To show what we are
paying for bad roads, to an extract from a recent report on the United States
Senate committee on agriculture, which has been investigating this matter, may
be given.
“Over the bad roads
of the United States a team of in the worst hauling season is able to transport
on average only about 800 or 900 pounds while in France every good draft horse
is expected to be able to draw 3,306 pounds a distance of 18 ½ miles any day of
the year.”
In spite of these
facts the United States only spends about $90,000,000 a year from all sources
on public road building. We spend more than that on our navy, more on our army
and more for pensions for soldiers in these days of peace. We have reached the
point for action, the time for mere talk has passed.
In this connection
we wish to again state that the indifference of the south to the value of the
split-log road drag is beyond understanding. It is no longer an experiment. It
is cheap, and consequently practically our only available means of maintaining
good roads, and yet we ignore it almost completely. We must for generations
depend on dirt roads throughout the greater part of the south. Hard surface
roads are better, but too expensive, in most sections, for many years to come.
In the split log drag we have a simple means of maintaining our dirt roads in
good condition at a trifling expense after they have been drained and shaped,
and yet we refuse to avail ourselves of this proved method. Some have explained
that the reason is that the drag is too simple. It is a fact that no one can
appreciate its value who has not seen it properly used, but it does seem that
we should learn more quickly. If the split-log drag were an experiment, there
might be some reason in the failure of our road authorities to begin its use,
but when any method has been proved the best known, by hears of extensive trial,
the failure to adopt it, by those having the care of our roads, is simply
inexcusable stupidity.
Send a postal for
Farmers’ bulletin No. 321, “The Use of the Split-Log Drag on Earth Roads” and
start agitating the matter among your neighbors.
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