THE CONCAVE-SEATED SHOE. 393 



Some parsimonious individuals contract with their smitivs 

 to supply shoes at a certain sum per annum. From what 

 we have said in this, as well as other parts of the work, it 

 will easily be seen how absurd such a practice is ; because 

 the smith will, in nine cases out of ten, put heavy shoes on 

 the horse to save the labour of repeated shoeing ; nor will 

 he think of removing the shoes at stated intervals, as we 

 have already recommended. 



THE CONCAYE-SEATED SHOE. 



Considerable difficulty has been experienced in having 

 enough of room to pass a picker between the foot-surface of 

 the patent-safety shoe and the sole of the foot, more espe- 

 cially where soles are flat, with an inclination to convexity. 

 The consequence has been, the soles of such feet in some 

 cases have been pinched by the pressure of the shoe, 

 although this shoe is not more difficult to fit than any 

 other. To obviate this supposed difficulty, and to meet the 

 views of those who think it desirable, a concave-seated shoe 

 has been invented, concave to the ground, and seated on the 

 foot surface. 



This shoe presents a perfectly level surface to the ground, 

 so as to give as many points of bearing as possible. There 

 is a groove round the outer edge, in which the nail-holes are 

 punched ; when the shoe is on, the nails project but a little 

 way beyond the general surface of the shoe, but are soon 

 worn level with the face of the shoe. 



The web of this shoe is of equal thickness throughout, 

 and parallel from toe to heel, deviating in width according 

 to the form of the foot to which it is to be applied. The 

 foot-surface of the shoe is sufficiently wide to protect the sole 

 from bruises, and as wide at the heel as the frog will permit, 

 in order effectually to cover tlie situation where a corn grows, 



3e 



