Catoctin clarion., 1907-11-07

blooms In August and September.
The first year 1t is cut with a scythe
A man goes up one side Of a row and
back on the other. After the second
year, the burrows are SO levelled
down that the cutter Of an ordinary
moving machine is able to get hold
OF the stems, and from that on the
cutting Is done by the machine. At
ter being cut 1t lies about twenty.
four hours, until the plant has wilted
but not dried. A field of cut mint
closely resembles one of clover. A
side delivery horse rake is used to
rake the straw in small windrows,
and then it is punched.
1t Is loaded on hay rack wagons
and hauled to the still. Nearly all of
the Michigan growers have their own
stills, but recently a large structure
OF this kind has been built to accom-.
modate the growers, who do not own
such contrivance. These stills cost
all the way from 800 to twice as
much. The smallest is equipped with
forty-horsepower boiler to generate
the steam necessary for the vats and
for pumping water for cooling pur.
poses.
Generally one end of the building
Is inclosed and the other end is with.
out sides, so that teams may drive
close to a platform flush with which
are the tops of the vats. The vats
are about nine feet deep and eight
feet In diameter and resemble large
wooden vinegar yats. Some Of the
stills have four of these, but the
smaller ones have only two, located
next to the boiler end of the struc.
ture. Each vat has a movable plat.
form in the bottom that may be raised
or lowered by means of one chain at
each side.
A loaded wagon is driven up along.
side the open side of the still, and
the mint is pitched on to the plat.
form and then into the vats, two men
tramping 1t down until there is a
solid charge. Then a heavy top is
clamped on, the steam valve is opened
and the steam is admitted at the bot.
tom. The oil cells of the charge are
ruptured by the heat, the oil escap.
ing upward with the current of the
stream, which, thus impregnated
with oil, flows through condensers,
which are nothing more than tin
pipes. Cold water from an overhead
trough flows on the pipes, and the
oil-impregnated steam is converted to
oil and water. 1t empties into a re.
ceiver about the size of an eight-gal.
lon milk can at one end of the worm
of pipes. The worm is located in the
boiler end of the building and against
one of the sides.
The oil rises to the top in the re.
ceiver, leaving the water in the bot
tom. An ingenious contrivance is
made use of to skim the oil from
the water. The mint in the vat is
steamed for from forty to sixty min.
utes, after which the top Is un-
clamped. Then, by the use of stout
crane, with which each still is equip
ped, the charge is drawn from the
vat. The chains that extend down
to the movable bottom are fastened
to steel spreader and the charge
is then hoisted clear out of the vat.
This in turn is loaded on a wagon and
Is hauled out to meadow, where II
is spread out on the ground. There
1t is allowed to dry just as hay is
allowed to cure. Then it is raked
up and hauled to the barns, where
1t Is stacked.
Here is a very interesting feature
of mint farming. Animals, horses,
cows, sheep and cattle generally eat
this mint straw. Up to this time II
is not known exactly what value at
taches to this material as food for
animals, further than 1t is consumed
ravenously. Mr.. Kelley, who has
charge of the Warner farm at Three
Oaks, where four hundred out of two
thousand acres Of reclaimed land are
In mint, says that he has been accus-
toned to haul some of the charges
just as they are drawn from the vat.
and to spread the material in the
barnyard. He said he did this to keep
animals out Of the mud, but he soon
noticed that the horses and other
animals left timothy to eat up the
mint straw as long as they could find
a spear. On this farm the charges
are now being dumped in great wind
rows alongside the drainage canal,
on both sides. 1t is proposed to COL
lect stock along the banks and allow
them to feed there during the winter
1t is not expected that they
will eat all of 1t, but much will be
consumed.
Since mint farming has assumed
such extensive proportions in Berrien
County more than one kind has been
grown. Some of the farmers are
spearmint. This is largely
used as a flavoring agent in cookery,
having pleasant aromatic odor.
Tansy also is being grown and dis
titled, the oil being used as flavor.
ing agent.
The help question largely enters
into the mint-raising industry. Forty
acres of mint requires force Of from
seven to fifteen men, who are paid
$3.50 a day and their board. Weed
ing requires an immense amount of
work, and the largest force is re.
quired when the new patches demand
this kind of attention. In some of
the larger stills 1t requires force
of from five to seven men to run the
stiN slone. The work of harvesting
ana distilling begins in the latter part
OF August and lasts until frost stops
the work. New York Tribune
Farmer,