THE FORM AND MANUFACTURE OF SHOES 657 



the important part of the smith's work. It demands some knowledge of tlie 

 anatomy of the foot and also of its diseases. He must remember that ho 

 has only about half-an-inch of horn at the thickest part between his knife 

 and the sensitive internal parts ; and though he can generally make a foot 

 look well by the use of his tools, he often only does this at the expense of 

 the destruction of a part which alone keeps the foot sound. Much will 

 depend upon the natural or acquired formation of the foot he has to shoe. 

 If it is very strongly covered with horn, great liberties may be taken with 

 it, as compared with one where the sole is flat and thin, and the crust very 

 shelly and weak. Generally he will only have to take an equal proportion 

 off from the whole concave surface of the sole, that is, supposing the foot was 

 properly prepared the last time it was shod ; but sometimes it will have 

 been allowed to grow greatly out of shape, and then much experience and 

 skill are required to know how far to go with the knife. A perfect model 

 must not always be carried in the eye, with a view to render the one before 

 the smith exactly like it, but he must rather consider how he can make the 

 best of the materials he has to work upon, which will generally be by pre- 

 serving horn rather than by removing it. If the foot is strong, the toe may 

 be slightly shortened, the heels of the crust and the bars may be lowered a 

 little ; the sole should not be pared out. The frog will only want to be 

 cleared of any ragged portions depending from it, and the attachment of the 

 bars to the crust must studiously be preserved. It is usual to clear out the 

 sole in the angular interval between the bar and the crust, so as to avoid all 

 risk of the shoe pressing upon the foot and causing a corn ; but if care is 

 taken to prevent the shoe from being twisted side-ways, this can never happen 

 and the sole may be left here on a level with the bar, unless it has previously 

 been the seat of a corn. 



Such are the general directions for preparing the healthy foot for the 

 ordinary English shoe ; but supposing that there is any disease or tendency 

 to it, or that some unusual form of shoe is decided on, there will be a neces- 

 sity for certain modifications in the plan adopted. 



THE FORM AND MANUFACTURE OF SHOES 



In spite of the prolonged opposition of a powerful trades' union, machine- 

 made shoes are now largely used, though never likely altogether to displace 

 the hand-made article. There were many serious objections to them at first, 

 but these have been practically overcome, and really good shoes, capable, if 

 necessary, of cold fitting, are now turned out by the British and Colonial 

 Company. A great many different materials have, from time to time, been 

 tried, among them compressed leather, vulcanite, and ^;a;;{er macho. None 

 answer so well as iron, although a mild steel is used for the short Charlier, 

 to which Mr South has given the name of the "Rational" shoe. The 

 rapid cooling which is necessary in fitting shoes, makes steel too brittle or 

 else too slippery. New bar iron, plain, fullered or Rodway, is commonly 

 used for front shoes, and " doubles " for hind shoes of hard-working horses. 

 Old shoes doubled and welded together and drawn out with heavy hammers 

 are more lasting than new and less brittle than steel. 



The chief objects to be attained in any particular pattern or form of 



