News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-08-26
THE PEPPERMINT KING.
An Account of an Unique Industry IN
Wayne County, N. Y.

Along the banks of the Garnagua
River, which flows through the southern
portion of Wayne County, may be seen
at this season of the year large fields of
green colored plants, about eight inches
In height, extending over an extensive
area. To a botanist n1enthG peperitG is
the name by which it is known, but to
the world in general it is peppermint.
In this comparatively small area seven.
elghts of all the peppermint in the world
Is raised. The low, mucky land is
ploughed in the spring. 1t is then laid
off in burrows eighteen inches apart, and
sets, portions of old plants, are planted
closely together in a row This is done
early in April. The roots are trans
planted every other year. It takes about
eight square rods of roots as they lie
upon the ground to plant an acre. The
roots that are planted this year, after
the cropis gathered. will betransplanted
in every other row for next years crop.
The first years crop is always The best,
because the plant is then freest from
weeds. Usually they are allowed to run
only two years, after which ahe ground
is plouohed uIder. When the plants
have grown, to about fEo and ahalf feet
in height they ripen.
The harvest usually bebins in the last
of August 1t is cut like glover, with
a cradle, and raked into cocks, when it
is allowed to wilt little before it is
taken to the distillery. The process Of
distillation continues until the last of
October. The plant is brought from
the fields in large wagons and tightly
packed in steam tight vats. The steam
is let into the bottom of the vat and the
oil of the plants thus volatillized. The
oily vapor and steam pass through a
condenslng worm into a receiver, where
the oil, being lighter than water, IS
dipped off and is then put up in tin cans
holding twenty pounds and taken to the
refinery, where it is refined and put into
twenty-One ounce bottles, eighteen bot
ties in case, labelled and shipped to
all parts of the civilized world.
The average crop per year in Wayne
County is between so, 900 and 100, 200
pounds, and yields on an average about
twenty pounds to the acre in good
season. This year the crop will be much
smaller than usual, owing to the late
planting, necessitated by floods which
occurred early in the spring. Although
there is an increase of acreage over last
year the crop looks poorer than it has
for many years. Seven eights of the
whole crop in the world is raised in
Wayne County, and that principally in
the towns of Lyons, Arcadia, Palmyra,
Sodus and WolcOtt.
Oil of Peppermint has many uses. It
is used for medicinal purposes in general;
is an important agent in cholera. 1t is
also used in favoring confectionery and
in perfumes, essences and peppermint
cordials, the latter being a tavorite
drink with Europeans 1t is used as
household medicine all over the world,
and for children's complaints is un-
rivalled.
The market is now at a standstill,
owing to the uncertainty of the grow
ing crop. Last years crop is nearly all
marketed. The average price paid for
the last three months has been from
$3,75 to 81 per pound for crude oil. In
1870 1t was down to So. / have known
the market TO jump 81 per pound in
single day,
One farmer last year brought into
refinery common slcigh-load, which,
when measured, was found to be worth
81, 900. You can see from this how
much money there is in peppermint
Buffalo Express.