35 



shown in Fig. 10, the mere presence of the leather does 

 not call for the employment of a single extra nail. 



The nails in common use are singularly defective in the 

 qualities, best calculated to insure the firmest hold for the 

 longest period ; their short, triangular heads, angular shoulders 

 and long taper points all tend to diminish their power of 

 holding a shoe, when it has been exposed to much wear ; 

 for, if the heads of the nails should fall to reach the bottom 

 of the countersink, as is too often the case, the lower part of 

 the hole vnll be unoccupied except by the shanks of the 

 nails, which of course cannot fiU them, so tliat long before 

 the shoe is worn out, the heads of the nails will have 

 disappeared, and the shoe be consigned to the very doubtful 

 keeping of headless shanks. A nail, to be efficient, requires 

 a head long enough to reach, and broad enough to fill 

 the bottom of the countersink, a shoulder wide enough 

 to block the opening, made in "back-holing" the shoe, and 

 a shank of equal width and nearly equal substance throughout 

 JlQ. •[1^ its whole extent, terminated by a short point. 



A comparison of these two descriptions of 

 nails, as represented at a. h. c. and d. in 

 Fig. 11, will demonstrate the very material 

 difierence, which exist between them ; and 

 the smallest reflection will show wherein the 

 one is superior to the other ; for instance 

 the head of the first will occupy every part 

 of the countersunk nail hole, and its wedge- 

 shaped shoulder will completely fill the open- 

 ing on the foot surface, while the shank, fi'om not being 



