PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 535 



Mr, Ebbitt explained some of the diseases of the feet of 

 horses, averring a belief, based on a long and constant famili- 

 arity with the matter, that the use of salt does not injure them. 

 He said that thrush was a foot disease of horses, for which salt 

 was the most approved remedy. Salt, he thought, tended to 

 make the nails hold the shoes more firmly to the feet, and was in 

 that point a slight benefit. 



Salt was the readiest and quickest agent to put the track in 

 condition for use. Without salt they were obliged to double 

 the horses per car, and reduce the number of . cars running. A 

 large enough number of horses to keep double teams of four 

 horses for each car, with suitable relays, so as to keep the whole 

 number of cars running, cannot be kept with economy. 



The economy to the company in the use, and also of the proper 

 use of salt, as distinguished from excessive use, is a better guide 

 or control over its use than any police regulation. 



Salt is from eighteen to twenty-five cents per bushel. It is 

 more efficient when applied during the fall of the snow than when 

 applied after its fall. 



Mr. Fisher inquired the relative cost of removing the snow by 

 salt and by shovels. 



Mr. Ebbitt said the regulation would not allow the companies 

 to dump snow in the docks. If the track lies unsalted, even if 

 the most of the snow be removed, the horses are not able to 

 stand, unless freshly shod. This is the main evil. Shoes last 

 generally about sixteen days. To fresh shoe five hundred horses 

 in a single night is practically impossible. The actual cost of 

 removing the snow by shoveling to the sides of the streets is 

 probably not more than that of salting. 



Mr. J. H. Churchill asked if there w^ere frosted feet on the 

 horses at other times than the 8th of February, 1861, wdiich had 

 been spoken of, when sixty horses on Mr. Ebbitt's line had frosted 

 feet. 



Mr. Ebbitt said no. Ou that occasion no salt had been used, 

 for eight days before, and then no more than thirty bushels. The 

 salt and snow had cntircl}' disappeared. There was a sudden 

 and very severe lowering of temperature, after a foggy morning, 

 nearly to zero. That was the cause of the evil. 



Mr. Dickinson, of the Second Avenue Railroad, agreed with 

 Mr. Ebbitt. On the 8th of February, 1861, his road had 550 

 horses, and over 100 were injured, dating from that day. The 



