Delaware Valley Farms

 

On the last day, November 7, of the deer
shooting season in New Jersey, the writer found
himself in the lovely woods that surround the
Kuser property, known as the Delaware Val-
ley Farms, and Mount Rosalie, overlooking the
famous river about twelve miles north of Tren-
ton and a couple of miles from the historic Wash-
ington crossing. And what a glorious day it
was and how enjoyable at nightfall to sit
around the great-blazing hearth at the home-
stead, the excellent residence that has Fred
Crangle as its head. It was, indeed, a glowing
and real old fashioned hunter’s time as the
huge logs leapt with flame and hearts were
bouyant with the happiness and conviviality of
the surroundings. As can be well imagined, a
good deal of conversation turned on the mat-
ter of Russian wolfhounds and wolf coursing.
Those present had had considerable experience
in both producing borzoi and with their running
down and killing other animals. As a breeder
of Russian wolfhounds, Fred Crangle, Mr. John
L. Kuser’s kennel superintendent, must be head
and shoulders above the rest of his kind.
They have produced from sixty to seventy
good young dogs and bitches at Delaware Valley Farms, Titusville, N. J., this year. Mr.
Crangle said the market has been better than it
had been for the last five years. Although they
have had to advance the price of puppies quite
forty per cent, because of the extra cost of food
and labor, the demand from all parts of Ameri-
ca has been kept up. The advertisement in
Dogdom had pulled correspondence and sales
from the various states and provinces of the
North American continent.
blood produces. For that reason, even if it
be somewhat late, the D. V. F. are now using
much of the Yarkai strains.
Mr. Crangle said that it would be for the
information of all interested, to know the D. V.
F. were breeding for the blood lines produced
from what he styled the greatest of all Russian
wolfhounds within the past twenty years—the
well known and many times champion, Bistri of
Perchina and Ch. Sorva of Woronzova, Ch.
J FRED CRANGLE EXERCISING RUSSIAN WOLFHOUND PUPPIES, AT DELAWARE VALLEY FARMS. TITUSVILLE. N. J.
It will be remembered that Crangle was man-
ager of the Valley Farm Kennels ip the hey day
of its prosperity, at Simsbury, Conn. Then he
went over to Mr. Kuser, the great brewer and
automobile manufacturer, Trenton, N. J. Crangle
thus became manager of Mr. Kuser’s Delaware
Valley Farms estate, and, incidentally, the
great and important kennel of Rusian wolf-
hounds. When the Simsbury kennel was sent
elsewhere, it was thought that the wolfhound
interests would, to a certain extent, die out. Not
so, however. The Delaware Valley Farms
started breeding on exactly the same lines, and
the people interested in the breed and desirous
of obtaining certain blood that had come direct
from Russia for many years, have been able
to get what they wanted at the kennels now
managed by Crangle. He, however, doesn’t
want to impress on people that the D. V. F.
are the only possessors of certain strains; but
it is a positive fact that some lines are actually
controlled by the D. V. F.; and because of this,
the management is conscious that in the near
future, its young dogs will be quite to the
front in the very best of company.
It has now been proved that a great mis-
take was made when more bitches were not
turned to the imported and Russian dog, Yarkai
of Perchina, while he was at Simsbury.
Through not breeing to Yarkai they lost im-
portant qualities which it is now found, his
Rasskida, the dam of Sorva; Champion Neua-
gladine of Perchina, Champion Zyclon of Per-
china, and the well known American-bred,
Champion Lasky, the best son of Fula. Now,
if it is not possible for the D. V. F. to breed
quality borzoi from the above blood, Crangle
wants to know where the deuce he has to go!
He claims they have produced a litter of puppies
during the present year the members of which
are as good, if not better in quality than any-
thing he has ever seen. These youngsters have
in them the blood of Champion Zyclon, Cham-
pion Postrel, Champion Lasky, Champion Lascy,
Champion Sorva. “Why?” again and again re-
peated my host: “Why should not this com-
bination produce all that is good and true of
the borzoi breed and type?”
The Delaware Valley Farms ownership
is certainly accomplishing a great deal for the
success of this grand breed by placing at stud at
very reasonable fees such dogs as Champion
Nadman (the New York 1917 winner); Abrax,
Vigilant, Val D’ Or and several others. In a
short time and working in the way the D. V. F.
kennels are working, they are bound to pro-
duce some really wonderful Russian wolf
hounds.
It is very interesting to remark that some
of the greatest borzoi produced since 1903 have
in them the blood of the bitch, Lady Fernbrookshe of the ancient type of borzoi. She was
without doubt the best of the American breds
in pronounced properties or points. Lady Fern-
brook was bred by Mr. Kuser and naturally it
has been a great pleasure to that gentleman
to look over the pedigrees of several famous
American-bred borzoi and find the name or
blood of his old favorite. That Mr. Kuser
is a true admirer of the beautiful and useful
Russian wolfhound, there can be no doubt
The extent of his kennels and the value of its
inmates all point to the enthusiastic and gen-
erous owner.
In conclusion, it may be remarked, that Mr.
Crangle does not think that any man living on
this broad earth, can, with certainty, declare
what will be the result of the union of two lines
of blood, unless he has had practical experience,
and has bred from those two branches. “There-
fore,” said my congenial friend, ‘”I would be
very glad to give anyone in America any in-
formation that has come to me through my ex-
periences and the practical breeding of Rus-
sian wolfhounds.”

Valley Farm Wolfhounds
In the past year or two perhaps no
Russian wolfhound kennel in the world
has enjoyed the enviable reputation now
held by the Valley Farm Kennels, of
Simsbury, Hartford County, Conn.
Standing as it does today by far the
largest and best kennel in the Western
Hemisphere, and producing annually
more Borzoi than any kennel in the
world with the exception of that of the
Grand Duke Nicholas, of Russia, it has
ample reason for the proud position
which it now holds.
There are several gentlemen interested
in the kennels, the principal owners be-
ing Messrs. Joseph B. Thomas, Jr., and
his brother. Ralph H. Thomas.
Mr. Thomas is now in his eighth year
as a Borzoi fancier, and while originally
starting with the best obtainable, he has
continually used every effort to improve
the status of his kennel and the quality
of its stock. To carry out this under-
taking to a successful issue, Mr. Thomas,
accompanied in one case by his brother,
has made two trips to the best Russian
kennels, and incidentally it may be said
that these two gentlemen are the only
breeders of Borzoi outside of Russia who
have visited the best Russian kennels.
Their efforts to obtain the best stock
in the world have not been without re-
ward, for in 1903 and 1904 they brought
out certainly the best seven Russian
wolfhounds which ever crossed the Rus-
sian frontier. Champion Bistri of Per-
china, and Champion Sorva of Woron-
zova, stand without peer for the best of
their breed on the show bench to-day.
Not only are these dogs from Russia of
extraordinary merit from a show stand-
point, but they were selected for breed-
ing purposes with a view of blood lines to
produce something that would equal, if
not excel, their parents, and the desired
results seem in a fair way of being ob-
tained, for the young stock now at Valley
Farm is, without doubt, immeasurably
the best that has yet been produced in
this country.
In the past few years there have been
in this kennel more champions than in
any three other American kennels, and
the winnings, commencing with a record
of every first at the Pan American Expo-
sition, have steadily increased until the
Westminster Kennel Club Show, of 1004.
when, with the largest entry of wolf-
hounds ever benched in America, the
Valley Farm Kennels won seven out of a
possible twelve firsts, with a total of
thirty-two regular and special prizes, in-
cluding five silver challenge and other
cups.
The success of these kennels in 1905
was phenomenal, beginning with a tri-
umph never equalled in the history of
the breed.
At the greatest show ever held in the
world, that of the Westminster Kennel
Club, in the Madison Square Garden,
New York, February 13-16, the Valley
Farm Russian wolfhounds won,—twelve
Firsts out of a possible thirteen; twelve
Seconds out of a possible thirteen; nine
Thirds out of a possible eleven; thirteen
Specials, medals and cups, out of a pos-
sible fifteen. And the most desired
honor of all
THE TEAM PRIZE,
judged by Mr. Raper for the best fourdogs of any breed, twelve teams of themost famous dogs in the world compet-
ing.The Valley Farm is under the efficientmanagement of that well-known fancier,Mr. J. Fred Crangle, and is devoted exclusively to the breeding of white Ply-mouth Rock fowls, the handling of polo
and saddle ponies, and the interests of
the kennels, some idea of the size of
which may be obtained from the fact
that the floor space, in the main build-
ings alone, covers more than 3000 square
feet.

 

Year of Event:

1905

Country:

America (USA)

Personal Collections:

 

Source:

 

Author:

Dan Persson

Dogs:

 

Persons: