The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-20
PEPPERMINT.
Where Seven-Eighths Of tho
Worlds Crop Is Raised,
Methods OF Culture and Uses
TO Which Ii Is Put.

\ Lyons N. y letter To the New
York Graphic SAYS Along the banks
of Ganargua river, which flows through
the southern portion o! Wayne county.
may be seen in the summer season Of the
year large fields of green colorei plants
about eight inches in height, extending
over an extensive area. To botanist
mentha peperita is the name 10y which
ii Is known, but to the world in general
it is peppermint In this comparatively
small area seven -eighths of all the pep
permint in the world IS raised. The
low, mucky land is ploughed in the
spring. 1t is then laid off IN furrows
eighteen inches apart and sets, portions
of old plants, are planted closely to-
gether in the row This is done early
in April. The roots are trans planted
every other year. 1t takes about eight
square rods of roots as they lie on the
ground to plant an acre. The roots that
are planted this year, after the crop is
gathered, will be transplanted in every
other row for next years crop. The first
years crop is always the best, because
the plant is the freest from weeds.
Usually they are allowed TO
run only two years after
which the ground Is ploughcd under.
When the plants have grown to about
two and one-half feet in height they
ripen. The harvest begins usually in
the last of August. 1t is cut like clover
with cradle, rakcd into cocks, when it
is allowed to wilt little before it is
taken to the distillery. The process in
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 from the plants thus volatilizcd. The
oily vapor and steam pass through
condensing worm into a receiver, where
the oil, being lighter than water, is
dipped off and then put up in tin cans
holding twenty poundo aud is taken to
the refinery of II. G. Hotchkiss of Ly-
ons, where it is refined and put into
twenty-one ounce bottles, eighteen
bottles to a case, labeled and shipped
to all parts of the civilized world.
Mr.. Hotchkiss is justly styled "thc
Peppermint King" "Tne average crop
per year in Wayne County" he said,
sis between 80 600 and 100. 000 pounds,
and yields on an average about twenty
pounds to the acre in good season.
Seven -cighths of the whole crop in the
world is raised in Wayne County, aud
that principally in the the towns Of
Lyons, Arcadia, Palmyra, Sodus and
Wolcott. A large proportion Of the oil
is exported. Oil of peppermint has many
uses. 1t is used for medical purposes in
general; it is an important hgcntfor
cholera. 1t is also used in favoriag
confectionery and in perfumes, essences
and peppermint cordials, the latter be-
ing favorite drink with Europeans.
over the world, and for children's com
plants is unrivalIed." ."
Glow much of the oil 10 you
handler
cover three-quarters Of tlte crop
raised in this county and more tka1 any
other one man in the world I have
been in the business since 1889, aud had
a varied experience. In 1879 the yield
was the largest ever known, aggregat-
ting $50, 900 pounds This year it will
be hardly one-thlrd Of that. / have
known the market to jump 81 per
pound in a single day. One farmer last
year brought into our refinery a common
sleigh load, which when measured, was
found to be worth $4,000. You can see
from this how much money there Is in
peppermint" ="