662 Report on the Horse-shoeing Competition at Newcastle. 
this respect. They know nothing whatever about the position 
of nerves, or about the object which nature has in providing the 
inside of the hoof with that important cushion called " the 
frog ; " while the hoof (to judge by the way many cut, burn and 
rasp at it) is looked upon as so much inanimate matter, placed 
there to be carved and polished as an ornamental adjunct to set 
off their much more esteemed iron shoe. 
I trust it is no more beyond the province of this Society than 
it is beyond their capacities to adopt some method of insuring 
(or at least giving the first and second prizemen in each class 
an opportunity of acquiring) a more scientific knowledge of the 
horse's foot than it is possible for nine-tenths of our country 
smiths to obtain. 
If the Society could see their way, either alone or in con- 
junction with the London Farriers' Guild, who have already 
taken some interest in this question, to give " Diplomas of 
Merit " after a proper examination and practical work done 
extending over a reasonable period (but not unduly to interfere 
with the men's avocations), 1 am of the opinion that we should 
have a much more intelligent use of the knife and rasp, as well 
as a great diminution of that bad but very prevalent custom of 
burning on the shoes. A smith so instructed, and holding such 
a guarantee of efficiency, would become a centre of improvement 
for the district in which he works. He would command more 
confidence from the public, and would impart his knowledge to 
his youths and apprentices with much more technical accuracy ; 
and in time, as the Society's operations went on, the whole 
kingdom could not but feel the benefit of this improved and 
more humane system of shoeing our horses. 
Up to this point 1 have not mentioned the importance of this 
question from the animals' point of view. Could they, how- 
ever, be called in, I imagine the evidence they could furnish 
would revolutionise the present barbarous proceedings in much 
shorter time than I fear the feeble efforts of their present advocate 
can ever hope to accomplish it. 
With these remarks I leave the future in the hands of the 
Council. There seems no possible reason why the competi- 
tions should not be continued. The Society having succeeded 
in this first effort, it would be well to go on until a better 
system can be worked out. 
Judges' Report upon Horse-shoeing at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 
This, the first horse-shoeing competition of the Koyal Agricultural Society, 
must be looked upon as a complete success. 
There were .several good workmen, but few that were really firet-class all 
round. Some were fine hammermen, artists at the anvil, but tlicy pared, 
