198 HOESES AND ROADS. 



CHAPTEK 



ASPHALTE PAYING, AND DIFFEPvENT OPINIOITS COXCEEKIXG IT 

 — DISSATISFACTION THAT EEIGNS WITH EEGARD TO THE 



ORDINAKT METHOD OF SHOEING TEANSMTSSION BY PAEENTS 



OF DISEASES PEODTFCED BY SHOEING — PEENCH STATISTICS 

 AS TO DISEASES OF THE FEET AND UJGS OF THE HOESES IN 

 THE AEMY— SHOEING, A NATIONAL QUESTION. 



AsPHALTE is a class of road surface that has caused 

 a great deal of controversy. At certain times, and 

 on certain days, such as when fog and mist prevail, 

 it gets greasy (as this state is called). In some 

 other weathers the same state of greasiness is pro- 

 duced during the beginning of rain ; but when 

 sufficient rain has fallen to reduce the consistency 

 of this so-called grease, the slipperiness disappears, 

 and then asphalte becomes a better holding surface, 

 for even shod horses, than either the wood or granite 

 which are contiguous to it; supposing them each 

 and all to have received the same amount of rain. 

 In fine summer weather, watering with carts will 

 make wood and granite slippery, when it will not so 

 affect the asphalte. But in any weather the unshod 

 horse can deal with it more successfully than tlie 

 shod one. The Almighty defies ' the puny intellect 

 of man' to produce a road of any kind that can 



