278 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



July. 1907 



would unhesitatingly place the 

 St. Bernards first. They are 

 courageous, very intelligent, 

 affectionate and faithful, be- 

 sides being good tempered and 

 first-rate watch dogs. But, 

 like the collie, they require a 

 wonderful amount of liberty, 

 and should not be kept closely 

 confined. 7heir dignified, 

 sweet and noble expression of 

 countenance, majestic size and 

 fine coat have endeared them 

 particularly to the lovers of 

 beautiful dogs and rendered 



such a comical appear- 

 ance that all who saw 

 him were convulsed with 

 laughter, while he slunk 

 guiltily aside. On other 

 occasions he would 

 saunter out of the hen 

 house with an egg con- 

 cealed in his cheek, look- 

 ing as innocent as you 

 please. These things 

 happened in the days of 

 his puppyhood when he 

 was naughty; later on 

 there was no cause for 



them descr\ edly popular. 1 am now speaking of the rough- 

 coated variety; the smoot-coated, if I am not mistaken, is not 

 bred in this country at all, probably because it lacks some 

 beauty, although it possesses all the other characteristics of 

 its race. Having owned three St. Bernards, I believe I am 

 qualified in pronouncing judgment upon these dogs. For 

 sagacity, fidelity and a sweet temper, they are certainly un- 

 surpassed. They may be safely entrusted with very young 

 children and constitute a dependable guard of honor to every 

 woman in the household. In my experience, however, a St. 

 Bernard that has been reared at home is preferable to one 

 raised in a kennel. "Prince Bismarck," the best dog of this 

 kind I ever had, came to us on an Oakland county farm in 

 Michigan as a puppy, and was raised on farm products, in- 

 cluding skimmed milk. While we were subsisting on the 

 fat of the land, he saw to it that he got his share. One day 

 he inserted his head in the bran bag in the barn and began 

 licking up the contents. I presume some of the bran got into 

 his nostrils and caused him to sneeze. At any rate, when 

 he pulled his head out, it was powdered with the whitish 

 bran, and the dog, emerging from the barn door, presented 



A TYPICAL ST. BERNARD 



complaint. His death was caused by poison, when he was 

 about five years old, by some conscienceless scoundrel. 



