THE CONCAVE-SEATED SHOE. 
393 
Some parsimonious individuals contract with their smiths 
to supply shoes at a certain sum per annum. From what 
we have said in this, as well as other parts of the work, it 
will easily be seen how absurd such a practice is ; because 
the smith will, in nine cases out of ten, put heavy shoes on 
the horse to save the labour of repeated shoeing; nor will 
he think of removing the shoes at stated intervals, as we 
have already recommended. 
THE CONCAVE-SEATED SHOE. 
Considerable difficulty has been experienced in having 
enough of room to pass a picker between the foot-surface of 
the patent-safety shoe and the sole of the foot, more espe¬ 
cially where soles are flat, with an inclination to convexity. 
Iffie consequence has been, the soles of such feet in some 
cases have been pinched by the pressure of the shoe, 
although this shoe is not more difficult to fit than any 
other. To obviate this supposed difficulty, and to meet the 
views of those who think it desirable, a concave-seated shoe 
has been invented, concave to the ground, and seated on the 
foot surface. 
This shoe presents a perfectly level surface to the ground, 
so as to give as many points of bearing as possible. There 
is a groove round the outer edge, in which the nail-holes are 
punched; when the shoe is on, the nails project but a little 
way beyond the general surface of the shoe, but are soon 
worn level with the face of the shoe. 
The web of this shoe is of equal thickness throughout, 
and parallel from toe to heel, deviating in width according 
to the form of the foot to which it is to be applied. The 
foot-surface of the shoe is sufficiently wide to protect the sole 
from bruises, and as wide at the heel as the frog will permit, 
in order effectually to cover the situation where a corn grows 
