SHOEING. 



127 



the men ; but scarcely does a severe frost or the snow set in, than people 

 throng into the forge, all clamorous to have their horses' shoes suited to 

 the weather. They crowd the building; they even stop the roadway. 

 The inside is full of men and horses — horses and men cluster deep about 

 the entrance. The smiths have to work fast, and often hang over the 

 fires for three nights and three days, without looking on a bed. Beer is 

 \ abundant; but nature cannot labor continuously on any amount of 

 ^stimulant, and the men ultimately sink, exhausted, to sleep soundly on a 

 heap of old rusty horse shoes, while many voices are shouting and many 

 anvils are ringing around them. 



iHB blacksmith's forge at the commencement of a hard frost. 



Such scenes might be prevented and the work much better done, 

 would owners lay in a stock of shoes, properly frosted, against the 

 coming winter. The labor executed during the leisure portion of the 

 year would not be hastily performed by overtaxed workmen ; the only 

 extra charge such a provision would necessitate is the interest on the 

 shght cost of the articles supplied : though very often even such an 

 increase of expense would be avoided, since it is by no means uncom- 

 mon for the smith's account to remain longer than six months before 

 it is liquidated ; while the confusion, loss of time, and those accidents 

 which often occur, would be banished. 



Frosting or roughing, as it is termed, is generally performed in a 



