The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-19

nnR-IenND VI ~
"" ~, s.,a IN lie Produced or Cantpania
@.r the Unique Property Of FORMER
Conkressma Todd -~sc'entihe indosV'S
c.,on.ni. farm, as II 10 called, Ia located
.masan county, In one Of tho southern
- =, tho Michigan fruit belt, The only
80 ~ reaching IL Is by blackboard over
a dozen miles Of loose roads Inc wagon
whaols leave no ruts, for the sand In their
wsks settles back into place again.
Orchards are passed and waste land covered
lin .crub oaks and maple and two or
- miles before the mint hslds are
s..cSsd their presence Is limited at by an
rnmlstakable tang In the air.
Tha farm was originally q fresh-watsr
.vamp-probably a part Of Lake Michigan
~, y.ry many generations ago. II In
n.slsr 10 picture a desert blooming as a
rose than 70 imagine mire and green scum
tsIinr form as candy n Yet such II
the case. Half a century o. experiment
md dltch digging have taught the trick.
Tina ANAL timber Is FIRST out OF and q
dch black earth i found beneath. The
i.nd Il then drained by mean OF ditchee.
whiob Tor length are small canals and which
are later used for irrigation purposes In the
dry season. In the spring. on tho con-
trsry, the earth is so loose and shaky that
the horses used in cultivaung II wear msrsh
sboes~broad pieoes Of board fastened to
thslr hoofs TO keep them from sinking.
Camnania farm contains 1000 acres OF
suoh highly fertile soil and 1000 more are
now being added 10 IL. II spreads out as
Fat as a duck pond-a lake Of pungent.
waves OF crinkly green leaves blanketed
at nightfall with a thick yapor. II y a
chemical laboratory exactly two miles
wide. There are no fences, but the ditohes
are laid on with geometrical .precision.
A roadway interseots IL at right angles
and at the exact centre are the buildings
from which the whole. N operated n at
which live more people than In many or
the ~neishboring villages. The smart IN
the newcomers eyes, IA well AZ his nose,
tells him that he Is In the middle Of tho
biggest mint field In the world. There
IL a peculiar dampness and chill TO the
atmosphere, especially after dusk.
A model boarding house accommodates
100 men and near by Is the summer cottage
Of the farm. There are Ice houses and farm
buildings in p~rofusion,. warehouses, a
library and club rooms for the workers.
and what is said TO be the biggest barn In
the world. This last represents one OF
tho most daring pieces OF economy IN the
industry. The disposal OF the,
OF tons Of mint hay after the oil had been
extracted was one Of the earliest problems
To be met.
Another Michigan problem Ii the utiliza-
ton Of the vast tracts OF stump n leit
by the lumbermen in then northern part OF
the State. MIR. Todd united the " prob
lens in the solution. He purchased 1000
acres Of forage land north Of Grand Rapids
and with a herd Of 500 shorthorns started
the first big cattle venture In tho Peninsula
State. In the late fall half a thousand
animals are shipped south p wintereo
In the great barn at Campania. ..
This barn il enthusiastically unique. Y
is in the shape Of a star, half a dozen build
ings Ia reality radiating aroun sif-
sioud rotunda in the centre. In the open
space three large silos have q capacity OF
5000 tons Of enslage and there II room
for 100 tons Of hay In the lofs
The peppermint plants which make ruch
excellent fodder when dried are equally
valuable a. fertilizer whom rotted. Sum.
ner and winter Industries are thur carried
on in tie same place and permanence Of
employment for the voTkmen IL not The
least OF the ad~vantageous features resultlf
Mr.. Todd pays go a month for labor viii
bard and lodging, and an additional bonu'
Of o. a month for those who stay the sum
ner through. This keeps the men at wori
during the harvest season. when they ar,
most needed. aud when he chance for ~orl
elsewhere Il greatest. This Industrial com
munity Ia one o. the interesting phases oi
the enterprise.
Todd y not only a member Of sevenl
scientihc. but Of various social and political
-,cieIoe organizations. His ideas are oar.
red out here, No tntoxioat lng liquor Il
allowed on the place This does not NEAR
hat blue Ia vi govern mint culture. On the
contrary, a rollioking harvest festival Il
held at the Close Of q season. japanese
lanterns are strung about the lawns, the
buildings are all thrown open, the barn
yards aTe lined With tbs ris, 81 the VISITING
farmers, a bx outlay Of good things u
provided foT al oomere and weed puller'
snd pretty sohOol t.acbers for mile- around
the proprietor hinssf joining In . msAs
uIe With them.
Mat pTopAxatss from roots similAI u
hops fhe plAld spreads by unnsr II
DIES thu very rapidly and n u has FIRE.
I.ln, tho entire ground u soon covered
AL wtsn the soasOn hAs advanced - thsI
culuyatlon = no longer praci loablo. th'
usads are pulled ID hand With soil OF
sAluh wesds run not suoh a. u Lei f0I
mint. the amouLt a hand lAbOT requires
u lAIsr hATvosi ims comes end tb'
mint i oomi--d ln 0no dlreotioB "a card0'
~ mems q q o.. sffui t~o-hor-a faAs
u.sfe Afs snags Gnd cnnklas Aks tho kinkl
Ia tousalnd lsaf afsd N the ground lal
feelings NJ mus' wlnua ~ tla pfoloa@ ia
fssssis are hen ian ~ tho aIfspsiis dineo
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