178 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Apkil, 
Dogs Useful on the Farm. 
The annual dog shows, begun in New York 
four years ago, have extended to various 
other cities, and to the Canadas. These 
Bench Shows will prove of decided service to 
the country, if they shall stimulate the breed¬ 
ing of useful dogs. On the previous page we 
present illustrations of those most serviceable 
and valuable in rural life. 
1. The Beagle is a very handsome small 
hound, fleet of foot, possessed of great power 
of scent, and having a peculiarly musical 
voice. He is an animal both ornamental and 
useful, and his comparatively diminutive 
size makes him a favorite in the household. 
His great value is as a hunter of rabbits. 
The bight of the beagle is from 9 to 12 
inches, the average being about 10 inches. 
The beagle possesses docility, amiability and 
good sense, and can be depended upon in the 
family. 
2. The Dalmatian or Coach Dog has a 
hight of some 24 or 25 inches. This dog is used 
in this country and in England as an appen¬ 
dage to the family carriage, and in that way 
has gained the name by which he is familiarly 
known. He is a handsome dog, spotted with 
black on a white ground, the spots being, in 
the finest specimens, uniform in size and 
distinctly in contrast with the white coat. 
This dog is of mild temper, and is compan¬ 
ionable. In his native land he is used as a 
pointer in the field, and is said to be a ser¬ 
viceable animal in the pursuit of game. His 
high training has rendered him useless for 
ordinary purposes, and the farmer can best 
utilize him on dress occasions, when he takes 
his family or friends out for a drive. 
3. The Water Spaniel may be made useful 
on any farm or in any neighborhood where 
marshes, ponds, fens, and the like are found. 
He will prove a pleasant companion for young 
farmers and farmers’ sons, and for all, in 
fact, who have not lost that love for the chase 
which is characteristic of those wdio live 
much in the open air. The spaniel is pas¬ 
sionately fond of water, and cares very little 
what the temperature may be. If game is to 
be had, the water can never be too cold. This 
dog is full of activity and unrest, and dili- 
XNTERIOR VIEW OF A DOG SHOW. 
gence and care are necessary to give him a 
reasonably fair education and bring him 
under good discipline. In the January 
American Agriculturist we gave a beautiful 
illustration and a description of the Setter. 
4. The Shepherd or Colley is an intelligent 
and useful dog. His special function is as a 
sheep dog, and for this business he seems to 
have peculiar instinct, a knowledge and an 
aptitude independent of his master’s orders. 
He is capable of taking the management of 
a flock, or of a refractory individual, and of 
bringing about results that would seem to 
require the active agency of a man. The 
colley is clothed with a thick coat of woolly 
hair, of even thickness, which protects him 
from the vicissitudes of the weather. This 
dog can be used to great advantage on sheep 
farms and sheep ranges. His rare intelligence 
makes him an invaluable aid to those who 
tend the flocks. It is a wise shepherd who 
knows more than a colley. An English 
writer says, “ there is hardly anything these 
dogs will not learn and nothing they will not 
do.” Let us have them in large numbers, by 
all means. 
5. The Dachshund is an ancient form of the 
domesticated dog. He is small in size and 
weight. He is a thorough game dog, tena¬ 
cious, obstinate and headstrong, and, as may 
be judged from his peculiar form, is an 
“ earth ” dog. He is a good hunter and very 
sure, although slow, upon the scent. He is 
useful in the destruction of foxes, rabbits, 
woodchucks and, in fact, of all the varieties 
of “ ground game ” that prove so pernicious 
to farmers. As a house dog the dachshund 
is amiable and easily attached, not pugna¬ 
cious, but when provoked into a quarrel, 
ferocious and enduring to the last degree. 
The dachshunds were introduced into this 
country some twenty years ago, and were 
bred in New Jersey. They have proved to 
be a valuable animal. 
6. The Foxhound has been more carefully 
bred for lightness and speed, and for the 
qualities of following the scent. He is saga¬ 
cious, spirited and intelligent, and his long 
and close companionship with man has made 
him docile and strengthened his attachments. 
This dog is useful to the farmer to whom the 
fox is a trouble. He is an agreeable com¬ 
panion, and his ornamental qualities com¬ 
mend him to favor as a pet of the household. 
7. The Newfoundland dog is too well known 
to need description 2 He is majestic in ap¬ 
pearance, and has a singularly benevolent 
expression of countenance. He is large and 
strong, gentle in nature, and an honest guar¬ 
dian of his master’s property. As a vigilant 
watcher and a sturdy stickler for the rights 
and privileges of his domain, the Newfound¬ 
land has no superior. He can be implicitly 
trusted to look out for life imperilled by 
water. He takes to this work with a spirit 
that amounts to a special sense, a moral con¬ 
viction of duty. Coupled with all these good 
qualities, however, is the discreditable fact 
that the Newfoundland often shows a lack of 
fidelity to his attachments. He is not as 
safe a companion for children as he appears 
to be. 
8. The Mastiff is a kind-hearted, docile, af¬ 
fectionate animal, and the very perfection of 
a guard dog. His appearance is command¬ 
ing, and he seems to be conscious of the 
impression produced by his large size. A 
good mastiff is a treasure to any farmer.. 
He is a certain reliance in the hour of need,, 
and he goes about the business of looking- 
after the duties allotted to him with a de¬ 
liberation and fidelity that seem to be the 
evidence of forethought and reason. The 
mastiff is by all odds the dog for the farmer. 
He is a high-toned animal, dignified and sa¬ 
gacious, and abounding in all the best points 
that are desirable in a dog. But against one 
species of dog we especially warn the farmer. 
Never own a Siberian bloodhound, the most 
bloodthirsty, ferocious, and treacherous of 
canines. 
A Convenient Grain Box. 
The box here represented, fig. 1, is at the 
foot, and just outside of the bin. It serves 
as a step when emptying grain into the bin. 
The front side of it is formed by two pieces 
of boards, hung on hinges at the outside 
corners, and fastened at the middle with a 
hook and staple. The contrivance opens into 
the bin at the back, thus allowing the grain 
to flow into it. When a quantity of grain 
is to be taken from the bin, the cover is fas¬ 
tened up, the front pieces swing round, giv¬ 
ing a chance to use the scoop-shovel to fill 
bags or measures. The box is a foot deep 
and sixteen inches wide. Its length is the 
same as the width of the bin. The first four 
boards, forming the front of the bin, may be 
made stationary by this arrangement, as at 
that convenient hight, bags may be emptied 
over by using the box as a step. Although 
the cost of this was only about 75 cents, I 
would not do without one for ten times that 
amount. If I were to build another, I would 
make an improvement by having the front 
piece and ends nailed together, and the 
whole fastened to the bin-posts by hooks and 
Fig. 1. grain boxes. Fig. 2. 
staples from the end-pieces, as shown in fig. 
2. Then the whole could be removed by 
unhooking the fastenings, and the cover 
could be let down, to form the lower board 
on the front of the bin, if desired. N. D. B. 
A Harness Closet. 
With a view to convenience and prolong¬ 
ing the usefulness of my harness, I have had 
a closet constructed in my stable. The 
closet is about eight feet wide, and reaches 
from the hight of a man’s head to within a 
foot of the floor. It is closed by two doors 
opening each way from the middle. In this 
closet are fastened iron hooks for the lighter 
portions of the harness, and wooden pegs for 
the heavier. The bottom forms a convenient 
shelf for holding curry-combs, brushes, axle- 
grease, and other things that are needed about 
a stable. The cost of such a closet is small, 
and any man can make the convenience in 
half a day. E. E. R. 
