The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-20
SHE BOSSES THE RANCH.
A California Woman Who Raises WAL
nuts and Fine Pampas Grass.

Mrs. Harriet w. r. Strong is ranch
woman of California, where the species
flourish. She is not, however, horny
handed daughter of toll On the contrary
she is described as dainty, fragile, shrewd,
daring, cDrdial gentle faced Her step is
quick; her voice low and musical She is
an accomplished lingust, II musician. n
painter, the president of fashionable
club, and her pampas plumes are the
finest in the country.
NO one would think of calling Mrs
Strong narrow or one-sided person.
Versatility and walnuts are her strongest
points The former has expanded with
out hindrance The walnuts haven't
done quite so we'll as they might have if
Mrs. Strong hadn't set out the pampas
grass among the trees, but she means to
make that all right very soon. The pam
pas plants will have to move, but they
will be merely transplanted. 1t is fact,
without any low attempt Mt punning,
that Mrs. Strong prides herself on her
success in this branch OF her ranching.
Mrs. Strong's husband died in 1888.
and his widow very quickly found that
her agents were improving their excep.
tional opportunities for running the bus
mess into the ground. This is very
easy thing to do with n ranch She de.
IL. III.
Is generally the case where Il woman takes
hold of I. business, she gets herself we'll
laughed Mt for her notions. When she
spent SiOJ on pampas plants the men of
the nelgnDorhood were so amused that
they sat in the sun for hours together and
had beautiful time telling each other
what fool n woman was when it came
to business
They don't do that now. Mrs. Strong
harvcsts 300,O plumcs from her twenty.
eight acres and sells them for from So to
$50 IL thousand. This is in addition to
the wanuts, which arc on the same land
but have been somewhat stunted by the
pampas. The plumcs are gathered in
September and the work has to be done
promptly. SiXtyfive laborers harvest
the twenty eight acres. The plumes
grow up III long sheath, as an ear of
corn does, and it must be cut before the
sheath opens, least the sun spoil the
fron1s. The plumes are first stripped
and taken TO the drying place. If they
are put out in the evening they are white
and ready to be taken up by morning
Then they go to the curing house, where
they are kept six weeks.
In addition to the pampas grass, which
Is an excellent food for cattle, Mrs
Strong raises walnuts, oranges, olives
and figs. She is president of the Amer
lean Walnut Growers Association She
is interested in irrigation and mining
schemes and has recently patented re-
servoir system for impounding the debris
of hydraulic mining. She thinks it will
settle matters satisfactoriallv both to
miners and farmers. She has patented Il
process for damming up and storing
water for irrigation by using the reversed
arch Furthermore, she has a hobby.
She dreams of founding an institution
where women may learn the principles of
the science of business. She is now the
president of Il business league. which She
hopes to see grow until it fulfills her
hope. Altogether, Mrs. Strong appears to
be as marvellous II product of the Pacific
slop" as it has turned out for a long
time.-New York Sun.