ECONOMY OF THE GOODENOUGH SHOE. 41 



farmers' granaries and the fabrics of the 

 Eastern loom and varied products of mechan- 

 ical industry crowded the warehouses ; even 

 the ragpicker in the streets suspended his 

 humble occupation, for the merchant, unable 

 to transport rags, refused to buy them of the 

 gatherer. The investment of national wealth 

 in horses being so enormous, any means that 

 adds to the efficiency of the horse greatly en- 

 hances the general prosperity. 



It is an old English saying, that " a good 

 horse will wear out two sets of feet." The 

 meaning of this adage is obvious : a good 

 horse's feet are useless at the time when his 

 other powers are in the prime. Mr. Edward 

 Cottam, of London, in his " Observations 

 upon the Goodenough System," states that 

 London omnibus -owners use up a young 

 horse in four years; that is, a horse of seven 

 years of age goes to the knackers at eleven, 

 pabulum Acherontis ; and the only noticeable 

 cause of their failure is from diseases of the 

 feet. A horse properly shod and cared for 

 should endure five times as long. In this 

 country horses fail in the feet, and are called 



