678 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



game, down to the little diminutive and ever active Terriers that rid the premises of rats and 

 other vermin, and always give the shrill bark at night if there is any danger from intruders, 

 and thus are among the best of Watch Dogs for signaling danger, all possess desirable 

 qualities of greater or less value to their master, and for the respective positions to which they 

 are adapted, will prove valuable servants. 



A good dog for the farm should be a faithful watcher, to guard the premises night and 

 day; he should be kind in disposition, obedient, gentle to the farm stock, intelligent so as to 

 understand what is required of him, and know his master s stock and premises, and also a 

 good ratter, as well as an exterminator of foxes, skunks, weasels, etc. The dog that combines 

 these qualities in the most satisfactory degree will prove the most useful to the farmer. As 

 to which of the valuable breeds are the most useful on the farm, opinions differ. Many 

 prefer the Scottish Collie. 



A gentleman in Canada says on the subject: &quot;I am satisfied that no breed of dog is so 

 useful on the farm as a pure Collie. The breed we have will bring the cows home to be milked 

 and drive them back to pasture; find the sheep and bring them to their enclosure every 

 evening; is remarkably fond of children, but does not like cats. We live some two miles 

 from a post-office, and on mail day our Collie will go and bring the papers and letters just as 

 safely as any man would do it. We have a harness for him; it goes around the neck and 

 fastens around the body, with a pocket on either side, having a flap buckled over. Then he 

 gets on his brass collar with pointed edges, as a protection from other dogs on the road, very 

 few of which will come near this dress. Before starting he has a lunch, and is promised a good 

 dinner if smart back. About twenty minutes is the time he takes to do the message, unless 

 delayed at the office, where he announces his arrival with a loud bark. In the busy time of 

 spring and harvest, this letter-carrier proves a great advantage.&quot; . 



Some have a decided preference for the Mastiff. A writer in N. Y. gives his opinion as 

 follows: &quot; I have had some experience in the line of useful dogs, and am decidedly in favor of 

 the Mastiff. The mastiff is a noble looking animal, large, kind, very affectionate, and not 

 inclined to wander about the country miles from home. He is intelligent and very domestic, 

 and as a rule is fond of children. I have one at the present time, a little over a year old. He 

 is a very large and powerful dog, but my little six-year-old girl controls him perfectly, and 

 when on the street he always seems to take delight in guarding her from danger, taking the 

 outside or more exposed position. She has taught him to shake hands, sit on a chair, lie 

 down, roll over, play possum, fetch and carry, and his extreme good nature is remarkable. 

 Still he has courage, and if a strange dog comes near the child, or approaches the house, he 

 must retreat at once or take a shaking up. We vote for the Mastiff.&quot; 



Dr. A. S. Heath, in a paper read before The Farmer s Club in N. Y., expresses his 

 preference in favor of the Fox Terrier. He says: &quot; The Fox Terrier is a small dog, weighing 

 from eighteen to twenty-five pounds. He is active, intelligent, kind, vigilant, obedient, 

 cleanly, honest, faithful, healthy, and capable of performing his work in the most satisfactory 

 manner. No stray animal can invade the premises with impunity day or night. Every 

 unusual noise must be accounted for. The derangements of the house and barns are learned 

 by him and reported by him in a business way. Foxes, skunks, rats, weasels, minks, stray 

 cats, and all other marauders are expelled from the premises on the pain of death. In a 

 word, I regard the Fox Terrier as the most suitable dog for the farm.&quot; 



In our opinion, although some other breeds may prove very valuable for all practical 

 &quot;purposes on the farm, the Scotch Collie has no equal is this respect, especially when well 

 trained to assist in caring for the stock. 



The Mastiff. This is a noble breed of dogs, although the pure-blooded animals are 

 quite rare, probably owing to their great size and the consequent expense of keeping; also to 

 the fact that modern safeguards for the protection of property have rendered them less 



