the earth
can be moved in several ways and of these the most economical cannot
be readily determined. Ordinarily a contractor or a county will use
the equipment that happens to be at hand even though some other might
be more advantageous.

=Elevating Grader.=--Where the topography is such as to permit its
use, the elevating grader is employed in grade reduction to load the
earth into dump wagons in which it is hauled to the fill or waste
bank. The elevating grader consists essentially of a heavy shear plow
or disc plow which loosens the earth and deposits it on a moving
canvas apron. The apron carries the material up an incline and
deposits it into a wagon which is driven along under the end of the
apron. When the wagon is loaded, the grader is stopped while the
loaded wagon is hauled out and an empty one drawn into position. The
motive power for the elevating grader is either a tractor or five or
six teams of mules. For many kinds of work, particularly where
frequent turning is necessary or where the ground is yielding, mules
are preferable to a tractor. The apron is operated by gearing from the
rear wheels of the grader. Generally four mules are hitched to a
pusher in the rear of the grader and six or eight in the lead. This
method of grade reduction is particularly advantageous when the
material must be hauled a distance of 500 yards or more, because wagon
hauling in such cases is the most economical method to employ. A
tractor may be used to draw the elevating grader and one having a
commercial rating of 30 to 45 horsepower is required.

=Maney Grader.=--If the haul is long and the nature of the cut will
not permit the use of the elevating grader because of excessive grades
or lack of room for turning, a grader of the Maney type may be used.
This consists of a scoop of about one cubic yard capacity, suspended
from a four-wheel wagon gear. When loading, the scoop is let down and
filled in the same manner as a two-wheeled scraper or "wheeler." The
pull required to fill a Maney grader is so great that a tractor is
ordinarily employed in place of a "snap" team. The tractor is hitched
at the end of the tongue, without interfering with the team drawing
the grader. One team readily handles the grader after it is loaded.
For this service a tractor having a commercial rationing of 25 to 30
horsepower is required.

=Wheel Scraper.=--For moving earth for distances between 150 and 500
yards, the wheel scraper of a capacity