The St. Mary banner., 1907-01-12
BIG PEPPERMINT FARM.
WOMAN TAUGHT EXPERIENCED
GROWERS NEW TRICKS.
Harvests in Hat Weather-ln This
Way She Gets all the Menthol Which
Gated in Michigan.

in the world to make success IN
growing peppermint for the market,
writes Niles (Mich) correspondent
to the Birmingham AgeHerald. She
has improved upon the methods en-
plOyed by the veteran mint growers IN
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 single county in New
York, is now on in this locality.
The first peppermint grown in this
county was planted by an Englishman
at Constantine, this State, fifty-five
years ago. 1t flourishes only on muck
or marsh ground, and the result is that
marsh land which formerly sold for
$3.50 to $500 an acre has been drained
and now sells for from $500 to $4,000
an acre, it having been made into
peppermint land.
PEPPERMINT is an aromatic and pun
gent plant, and peppermint oil, which
is distilled from the fresh herb, enters
ly understands the rotation of crops.
Miss Clark has invaded field hith-
erto controlled exclusively by men
the raising of peppermint and the dis
tilling of peppermint Oil. Four years
ago she began setting out plants, and
she now has twenty acres out 10 mint,
and expects to have 500 pounds of oil
to market very soon. She built dis
tillery this summer, and now has four
mowers, two rakes and twoteamsters
at work in the field and two in the dis
tillery.
Miss Clark, who has managed the
eighty-acre farm since the death of her
father,' several years ago as practi-
cal farmer, has made a study of the
chemistry of the soil and thoroughly
understands the rotation of crops.
The peppermint herb is placed in
large watts. into which steam is con-
veyed, and the 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 it passes The
oil is then easily separated 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 $2.1O,
but growers believe the price will be
higher this year, because heavy frost
last year ruined the crop in many To-
calities. However, Odge G. Olcott who
are extensive New York buyers of
mint, say in the course of a letter
just received here:
las to peppermint market, the sit
uation is wholly unsettled We are
not believers ourselves in the fan
tastic idea Of value entertained by the
average Michigan grower, and we
think that when the total production
Is counted up six weeks hence it will
be found that Notwithstanding the
destruction of the roots in many To-
calities 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 un-
willing to believe that it will amount
to enough to justify any such prices
as are being talked about"
Miss Clark has adopted system of
autumn planting. which is contrary
to established rules, and mint growers
watched, the experiment with great
interest and under their breath pro-
phesied failure. as frost is popularity
supposed to "heave" the new-set plants
above the ground. But the innovation
tndorsed by farmers, as the cost of
planting is double in the spring, it
being hard to get hands at any price
to work in muck soil in the wet sea-
son.
The planting is back-breaking work,
for the runners" that form a lacy
network under the plants are used
for propagation and, with overlapping
stems, are laid down in long, straight
roms. Men cover them with their
feet, but Miss Clark has a hoe, and
again farmers shook their heads How
ever, every plant came up in the spring
and grew with rank luxuriance. They
are cultivated by hand, as all the
labor-saving devices fail when it comes
to mint farming.
Miss Clark employed fifteen women
in the wedding season, paying those
who worked shoulder to shoulder with
her 81 a day and their dinners. How
ever, she says women cannot stand
the hard work in the peppermint field,
and she has decided to employ men
for this work hereafter.
The most extensive growers in this
vicinity are the Beebees. of Pokagon.
who have 200 acres of mint, which
will have a value of between $4,000