The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1886-11-18
The Peppermint King.

This potentate was born in Oneida
county, New York, on June 10, 1910,
says The Farm and Household, and his
name, which has for many years been
kept standing in type in the chief mar
ket journals Of the world. is Hiram G.
Hotchkss. Now rs years old. he is ro-
bust and plump, bustling with activity
among his peppermint bottles during
the season Of oil production, and in ev-
cry way master of his speciality. When
he was years old his parents removed
from Oneida county to Ontario county,
which adjoins Wayne, and settled in
the town u Phelps. At the age of Is
he started II small country s:crc, to
which later he attached n ilour.ng-mill,
thereby becoming general turnsher
of food material. About 1887, ten to
twelve years after Burnett had put II
practical appraisement on the value OF
the now famous WAYNE county weed.
Mr.. Hotchkiss began 10 buy pepper
mint oil of the farmers about Lyons,
who took it TO him rs the most enter
prising merchant they knew. He also
got into the business of buying the raw
meter.al, rs it would be offered to him
in connection with wheat taken to his
mill, and d sitting the oil himself. He
presently saw future for Wayne
county peppermint, and, disposing of
his business in Phelps. removed in
IS4l to Lyons, here gradually to assert
dominion over the peppermint-oil bust
ness of the world. There are Two or
three other dealers in the county. but
the bulk of the crop goes to market
through the hands OF Mr.. Ho,chkiss.
The mint is raised chiefly in the
towns Of Huron. SoduS. Galcn. Marion
Arcadia. Williamson. Lyons. and Rose.
The loam soil Of the Hat lands OF these
towns is naturally adapted to it. but the
r.chncss of the plant in OIL varies so
greatly that producers can not mix
their crops for distilling, taking Il pro
rata share of the oil, us darymen IN y
Their milk ia common pool ut tho
cheese factory, and take II pro rata
share OF the cheese. The mint acreage
of the county this year is estimated to
be about four thousand acres. and this
area is said to be only about onc-haIf
what it would have been il the season
had been favorable MIR. Ilo;chkiSS
estimates the total product of oil TIL
year TO be worth 1920. 900. In n fairly
good season it rises much beyond this
amount. The crop is now. OF course
MI IN. and much "a il has been mi o.
It's way 60 the caDd, factories. the
bakeries. and the aching stomach, ot
,he world.
Peppermint long ago ceased TO be
looked upon rs II weed in these parts
1t is n legitimate agricultural product,
planted and attended to as sysiematical-
~ rs n crop of wheat or potatoes. The
oil is sent to market from Lyons in
Wholesale quantities, but small part
Of each years product is put up in
ph;als ITO give away to my colicky
friends" as Mr.. Hotchkiss says. The
bottles for commerce contain twenty
ounces, and eighteen bottles are packed
in case. the current worth OF case
at first hand being 500. Mint farmers.
who during tho season of shipping and
packing frequent Mr.. Holchkiss fac
tory, say that peppermnt-rasng is
considerably more profitable than
wheat raising. and is surcr crop, the
average of seasons and the market
considered, than almost anything clss
they could produce on their available
mint soil.