My Genealogy Hound

Mrs. Margie Strong. Among the enterprising and extensive farmers and fruit growers of Crittenden County will appear the name of Mrs. Strong, who is the wife of J. L. Strong, and daughter of William and Elizabeth (Barton) Dickson, all of Alabama. Mr. Dickson was one of the prominent men of Alabama before the late war and deeply interested in the progress and prosperity of this State. He was connected with Brinkley, Greenlaw, Tate and others, the original projectors of the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad, and with these gentlemen he purchased large tracts of land in this and adjoining counties, doing as much or more to advance the interest of the county and State in which he lived than any other man; and he is remembered with the kindest esteem for the industries that he put on foot, and which will live as monuments to his public-spirited efforts. Among the finest and most productive of the many farms owned by Mr. Dickson is the one upon which his daughter now lives and does business. Mrs. Strong was married to J. L. Strong in 1863 and in 1867 they moved to Tulare County, Cal., where they remained for thirteen years. Mrs. Strong has one brother, Barton, residing at Dickson, Ala., on the old homestead and one sister, Loutie, now Mrs. T. H. Ward, of Memphis, Tenn. Mrs. Strong’s farm consists of 1,200 acres of land, of which there are 500 acres in cultivation. She is greatly interested in the culture of fruit, especially peaches and pears, of the former of which she has an orchard of fifty acres and an extensive orchard of the latter. From a statement by Mrs. Strong concerning the profits of fruit culture on Holly Grove farm, as her place is called, valuable information is gained. Besides the peaches and pears spoken of she has quite an extensive apple orchard, but does not find this branch of business as profitable as peaches, which she says can be grown more successfully here than in any other country in which she has been, with the exception, perhaps, of California. The profits of peach culture are certain and large. The orchards of Holly Grove farm have been bearing only three years. The net receipts for the first year were $159.34 per acre, the second year $103 per acre and the third year $136 per acre. Mrs. Strong gives valuable facts from her experience as to the relative benefits of budded and seedling trees. She finds the “Beatrice” the most profitable early peach on account of its uniform size and freedom from rot; also that all budded fruit bears fitfully, some years bearing heavy crops and some light; that they are also subject to rot. Her experience demonstrates seedling fruit to produce the best returns, because they are healthier and bear uniform crops, gradually increase and do not rot. The profits from seedling trees in 1889 was $232.36 per acre after deducting every conceivable expense. Mrs. Strong is the largest individual shipper to the Memphis markets and when the people there want the choicest fruit they seek out the package that bears the label “Holly Grove Farm.” She is also a large shipper to the New Orleans market. The trees are grown and now ready to extend her peach orchard to 100 acres and the pear orchard to ten acres. She finds pear culture profitable also. She plants only the Leconte and Keiffer pear and they net $170 to $400 per acre. Mrs. Strong has originated twenty-four varieties of peaches on her farms and she will plant the entire increase with these, with the exception of the “Early Crawfords.” She deserves the greatest praise for the large business which has sprung up under her own supervision. If one-half the men were as enterprising and energetic the world would be enriched and improved many fold.