472 



THE HOESE. 



much. But whichever covering you use, it must be put on in 

 the same way ; so I will at once tell you how to do it. You 



must lit the shoe to 

 the foot with as much 

 care as if notliing 

 were to be put under 

 it; and when it is 

 "filed up," and ready 

 to be put on, lay it 

 with the foot-surface 

 downward on the 

 covering, whatever it 

 may be, and mark 

 the form of the shoe 

 upon it with the end 

 of the drawing-knife ; 

 then cut the piece 

 out, put it in its place 

 upon the shoe, and 

 fix them both in the 

 vice, which will hold 

 them close together, while you carefully cut the edge of the 

 covering until it agrees witli the edge of the shoe ; then turn 

 them in the vice together, so as to bring the heels of the shoe 

 uppermost, and cut out a piece slightly curved downward Irom 

 heel to heel, that nothing may be left projecting for the ground 

 to lay liold of. The next tiling to do is to smear the whole ot 

 the under surface of the foot well with Barbadoes tar mixed 

 with a little grease ; but be sure that you never use gas-tar in- 

 stead of the other ; for it dries up the horn and makes it as 

 hard as flint, while Barbadoes tar keeps it moist and tough. 

 Then you must fill the hollow between the frog and the crust 

 on both sides with oakum — which is better for the purpose than 

 tow — dipped in the tar, pressing it well into the hollow until 

 the mass rises above the level of the frog on each side ; but 

 never put any oakum upon the frog itself, excepting a piece in 

 the cleft to prevent the dirt and grit working in ; very little is 

 ever wanted on the sole in front of the frog. The use of the 

 oakum is to protect the foot, but more especially the navicular 



