Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-15
PEPPERMINT CULTURE.
A BRANCH OF AGRICULTURE PECu-
LAR TO A NEW YORK COUNTY.
Raising the Plant as > Regular Crop-It
Pays from $50 to 500 Per Acre-How
the Discovery Made by . Yankee Ped
dler Has Been Worked Upon.

- rays from sou 20 S1UV TeF Acfe-HOW
the Discovery Made by . Yankee Ped
dler Has Been Worked Upon.
Fifty years agoa Yankee peddler named
Burnett included in his rounds the northwest
ern counties OF New York. He was from
Massachusetts,, and, besides carrying the usual
stock OF goods that the peddIers of that day
found ready and profitable sale for, was
always looking out for speculation or bar
gain in anything in which he could see the
promise Of dollars profit. On one of his
trips into Wayne county he discovered a
plant growing wild here and there, which he
recognized as peppermint. This was quite
common in some parts Of Massachusetts,, and
the farmers there added few dollars an
nually to their returns by distilling and sell
ing its oil. Spearmint, or common mint, was
plant that grew nearly everywhere, but
peppermint had at that time been found
nowhere else in the country outside of Massa-
sets. Burnett had dealt to some extent in
the peppermint oil OF Massachusetts, and
found it profitable goods so he went to gath
ering the wild peppermint of Wayne county
and distiling It's oil on his own account
This product he sold about the country,
Aliu AOI SSN ti al ScctSCllS Ut was bIle Only one
who thought it worth while to utilize tie pep
perInipt plant Of this locality.
SENT TO HAMBURG.
At last some Of the Wayne and Ontario
county farmers woke up TO the fact that they
might as well make few dollars themselves
out of this wild product of their waste places,
and began to transfer the plant from its
places Of spontaneous growth and cultivate
it as a regular crop. The plant did well I'M
der cultivation, but SO little general import
ance was attached TO it that no: more than
two or three hundred pounds of oil was dis
titled in any one year. In fact, forty-fve
years ago not more than 500 pounds OF pep
permint oil were grown III the whole coun-
try, the chief supply of tho article coming
from China and Japan.
In 1914 Il. G.. Hotchkiss was keeping little
country store in the village Of Phelps Onta-
rio county. In the course of his dealings
with the farmers he had taken peppermint
Oil in pay ment for goods furnished them I'M
til he had on hand quantity of the product
for which he must receive 81 900 to make
him even. He resolved to find wider mar
ket for the oil than it had yet known and if
possible to introduce it as a standard product.
He placed his stock of oil in tin cans and took
a sample of it TO New York None of the
drug dealers would touch it, declaring that it
was not pure. Mr.. Hotchkiss returned home.
Germany, being great center
for the sale and distribution of essential oils,
be concluded to try the peppermint oil Of
Wayne county in that market Procuring
sufficient number of the now old fashioned
81 ounce lip mouthed ink bottles, he removed
~ fro,
inspection that it was as pure as any pepper
mint oil then made, and placed it in the bot
ties. Ee sealed the bottles and put on each
one this LABEL
Peppermint oil, from Wayne county, New York.
U. 3. A Guaranteed pure by II. G.. Hotchkiss
He consigned the oil to a firm in Hamburg,
naming the sum he should receive for it if it
was accepted. Nothing was heard from il
FOR long time. Then Mr.. Hotchkss re-
ceived draft for the sum he demanded. with
Al order for another consignment of pepper
mint OIL That was the actual beginning Of
an entirely new branch of agriculture not
only in this country, but in the world. Mr..
HotchkisS gave up his other business and
went into the growing and distilling of pep
0ermint on an extensive scale, and the Wayne
county farmers followed his example to such
| degree that 10000 pounds of peppermint
Ill is now distilled from their crop in favor
lble seasons
HOW IT Is GROWN.
The peppermint crop is not one that re-
urns fancy profit TO the farmer, but if be
an get s. a pound for his oil, below which
he price seldom, if ever, goes, he realizes a
rood return. Twenty-Five pounds of oil to
he acre is the lowest general average of the
rop. 1t is not an uncommon thing for the
ii to command So a pound, and the price
las been as high as s..
SThe cultivation Of peppermint is simple,
nut requires great deal OF labor in keeping
t free from weeds. The ubiquitous daisy
ears its dainty blossom among the pepper
mint rows, as much at home as it is in the
meadows and the aesthetic golden rod Ell
iches the mint borders with its color But
While the daisy and the golden rod may be
in my lady's corsage their ex-
'ressed oil mingling with the pungent juices
f the peppermint do not add to the efficacy /
f the latter in curing her baby's stomach /
che. Another weed, unknown in New York /
tate until the Wayne county farmers began |
0 cultivate peppermint. and which is still /
Unknown outside of the peppermint fields, Is /
perpetual menace to the purity of the farm
RS product. This Is locally known as rag
yeed, but it is not the old fashioned rag weed /
hat grows everywhere. 1t looks something /
Ike lettuce, aud yields of itself an abundance /
f bitter and pungent oil II does not re-
uire great deal of this weed, if distilled |
18th the mint, to diminish greatly the value
a farmers crop No new insect pest has
olowed the cultivation Of pepperInint I'M
Ike almost every other product Of the farm,
,sects do not interfere with the growth OF
INT. Keeping the crop free from all weeds
the principal care that attends its culava-
on
field Of peppermint yields two crops.
he SETS or parts of old plants, are planted
April and May. in rows two feet apart
ney grow 10 the height OF two feet ANY
ne who had never seen peppermint growing
-ould suppose it was the common spearmint
the juiep and sauce for lamb II be press
leaf between his fingers, however, the odor
the oil viii ct once reveal the difference
he gathering 81 the peppermint begins IL
.uguSt. The plants are cut close 20 the
oots with a scythe or two fingered cradle.
hey are cured or wilted in the sun Ike hay
IT twelve hours, the Oil being expressed
lore freely with the plants In that condition
IAN when they are fresh. From the rooa
ae next years crop springs.-Lyons u. "
etter in New YORK Sun
II young men viii not believe in them