ART OF SHOEING. 571 



holding the stamp, will apply their thoughts, as if they were 

 directing the nail through the hoof, in these cases, care will 

 in a great measure obviate the ill effects; but a custom 

 which requires such care, is full of danger, compared with 

 more simple and rational systems. 



There is just one consideration to be given to Coleman's 

 stamped shoe, which gives it a claim in the estimation of 

 workmen before any other, and sympathising as we do for 

 our hardly-wrought and ill-paid farriers, we will give full 

 attention to this part; there is a saving of labour in making 

 this stamped shoe ; a saving of many heavy strokes with the 

 sledge-hammer, as compared with the fullering of the shoe, 

 and some saving also as compared with the French method. 



The fullering and stamping together of an ordinary-sized 

 carriage horse-shoe requires over rather than under 60 hard 

 strokes with the sledge-hammer, upon the head of a cold 

 tool, whilst to stamp the same shoe with Coleman's wedge- 

 formed stamp, 12 strokes are about the number required; 

 and the French shoe with the obtuse pointed stamp requires 

 about double the last-named number, or 24 strokes. The 

 difference in a day's work of shoe-making, allowing five 

 dozen of shoes for the task, would stand thus : 



Sledge-hammer strokes to the fullered shoes, . 3600 

 The French method of stamping, . . . 1440 

 The wedge form or English counter-sink stamp, 720 



The above figures show that our men are required, in a 

 single day's work at making shoes, to give 2880 more strokes 

 five times the number with the heavy hammer in making 

 fullered shoes, than are required for the stamped shoe, and 

 that in addition and apart from the manifold greater num 

 ber which the whole process of forging the iron requires, 

 and such difference of labour accounts for the silent approval 



