PANELS. 135 



to dry, and to keep clean and soft, is its flaps, namely, the 

 portions which are absent in a short panel. Hence, the short 

 panel is the best shape for panels covered with serge in fact, 

 for all panels. 



Slight alterations in the stuffing of a serge-covered panel 

 are easily made by passing the seat awl through the serge ; 

 and extensive ones, by making a cut or two in the serge, 

 generally in the middle of the panel, and adding or removing 

 stuffing, the position of which can be altered by means of 

 the seat awl and seat iron. The cuts are afterwards closed 

 by stitches. As the edges of a cut in the leather covering 

 of a panel cannot be easily brought together, without 

 leaving a ridge which might hurt the back, this method of 

 altering the stuffing is not practised with leather-covered 

 panels. In their case, the stuffing can be supplemented by 

 taking out the panel, nailing strips of felt to the under surface 

 of the tree, as may be required, and replacing it. 



The respective merits and disadvantages of serge and 

 leather as a lining for saddles, greatly depend, as we have seen, 

 on the particular circumstances of each case. I think serge is 

 the better of the two for a hunting saddle, when the services 

 of a good saddler can be obtained to re-stuff the saddle from 

 time to time, as for instance, before each hunting season. 



On account of its smoothness and consequent freedom from 

 friction, linen often acts well as a lining, when the horse's 

 coat has become a good deal worn under the saddle, which is 

 much more apt to take place with side-saddles, than with 

 cross saddles. Owing to the closeness of its texture, it does 

 not readily admit of stuffing being regulated. 



The facility offered by the open texture of serge for regu- 

 lating the stuffing, combined with its high power of absorption, 

 is its great recommendation as a lining for saddles. 



