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 198 CHAPTER XXI

ASPHALTE PAYING, AND DIFFERENT OPINIONS CONCERNING IT—DISSATISFACTION THAT REIGNS WITH REGARD TO THE ORDINARY METHOD OF SHOEING-TRANSMISSION BY PARENTS OF DISEASES PRODUCED BY SHOEING—FRENCH STATISTICS AS TO DISEASES OF THE FEET AND LEGS OF THE HORSES IN THE ARMY—SHOEING, A NATIONAL QUESTION.

is a class of road surface that has caused a great deal of controversy. At certain times, and on certain days, such as when fog and mist prevail, it gets greasy (as this state is called). In some other weathers the same state of greasiness is produced during the beginning of rain; but when sufficient rain has fallen to reduce the consistency of this so-called grease, the slipperiness disappears, and then asphalte becomes a better holding surface, for even shod horses, than either the wood or granite which are contiguous to it; supposing them each and all to have received the same amount of rain. In fine summer weather, watering with carts will make wood and granite slippery, when it will not so affect the asphalte. But in any weather the unshod horse can deal with it more successfully than the shod one. The Almighty defies ‘the puny intellect of man’ to produce a road of any kind that can