NOTES ON SHOEING OF HORSES. 17 



The insensitive sole is supplied with nutriment 

 and moisture from the sensitive sole, by means of 

 foramina which run through it in the same direction 

 as the fibres of the crust. 



20. It is a common fallacy that the insensitive Fallacy of 

 sole, if not pared out, will unduly accumulate and accumuiat- 

 become hard, and thus injure the sensitive sole, comfng^'^' 

 which lies immediately above it. ^^'^' 



In reality, however, — and the reader need only 

 try the experiment to convince himself, — the sole 

 never does and never can unduly accumulate (if 

 the external surface of the crust be not rasped), 

 because the new layers of fibres, as they com?e 

 down from the sensitive sole, are perpetually pushing 

 off the old and outer layers. 



Nor does the sole become hard, as supposed. 

 The outer flakes of fibres, though they get in some 

 degree hard, are yet not so hard as in the ordinary 

 pared sole, but act as scales, and preserve the 

 deeper seated layers soft and moist. For example, 

 if a quire of whitey-brown paper be soaked, and 

 each outer sheet removed as fast as it becomes 

 dry, the lowest sheets will soon be exposed, and 

 will also become dry and hard ; but if the upper 

 sheets, though dry, are allowed to remain, they 

 will preserve the lower moist and soft. And so it 

 is with the flakes of fibres, which form the insensitive 

 sole. 



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