The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-14
WOMAN OPERATES
 PEPPERMINT FARM
Taught Experienced Growers
 New Tricks in Business
HARVESTS IN HOT WEATHER
In This Way She oets All the Men- thol Which Gives the Plant Its Value-ls Located in
 Michigan.

Niles. Mich. Saturday. Miss Mary Clark, an orphan of Galien, this county, is the only woman in the world to make a success In growing peppermint for the market She has improved upon the methods employed by the veteran mint growers ln several instances, and her eighty acre farm Is one of the best mint producers in the world.
 The harvest of the mint crop, which is grown exclusively in the United States In Southern Michigan, Northern Indiana and in a single countyin In New York, is now on in this locality
 The first peppermint grown in this country was planted by an Engllshman at Constantine, this State, fifty-hve years ago. It flourishes only on muck or marsh ground, and the result Is that marsh land which formerly sold for Sl.5O to S2O0 an acre has heen drained, and now sells for from s75.OO to Sl5O00 acre. 1t having been made into peppermint land.
 Peppermint is an aromatic and pungent plant, and peppermint oil, which is dis titled from the fresh herb, enters into the combination of peppermint water, essence of peppermint and spirits of peppermint, and is used to make the nauseous taste of some medicines and for flavoring candy and extracts. Much of the oil is shipped to Japan where they cannot raise pep permlnt that will produce good oil
 Girl a Practical Farmer.
 Miss Clark who has managed the elghty-acre farm since the death of her father, several years ago is practical farmer, has made study of the chemistry of the soil and thoroughly understands the rotation of crops.
 Miss Clark has invaded a field hitherto controlled exclusively by men-the rais- Sng of peppermint and the dlstilling of pep permint oil. Four years ago she began setting out plants, and she now has twenty acres out to mint, and expects to have 800 pounds of oil to market very soon She built a dstlllery this summer, and now has four mowers two rakes and two teamsters at work in the fields and two in the distillery.
 The peppermint herb is placed fin large vats, into which steam Is conveyed and thte steam, which passes out through what is called the worm, is condensed into oil and water by bringing cold water into contact with the pipe through which 1t passes. The oil is then easily seperated from the water.
 The yield hereabouts last year was from thirty to sixty pounds to the acre, and forty pounds, per acre Is considered a good, fair crop. The price per pound last year was $2.10. but growers believe the price will be higher this year, because heavy frost last May ruined the crop in many localities. However Odge & Olcott who are extensive New York buyers of mint, say in the course of a letter just received here:-
 "As to peppermint market the sltua- ton is wholly unsettled. We are not be- lievers ourselves in the fantastic idea of value entertained by the average Michi- gan grower, and we think thal when the total production is counted up six weeks hence it will be found that notwithstand- ing the destruction of the roots in many localities last winter. about as many pounds of oil are available as there were the same time last year. There may be some shortage, but we are unwilling to believe that it will amount to enough to justify any such prices as are being talked about"