Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1907-11-09
Mint Farming in Michigan.
More Than Two Thousand Acres Devoted the Industry
One County-Some Account of the Planting
Cuivahng and Distlling.
j. L. GRAFT, RAyENswooD, ILL.


close to platform flush with which
are the tops of the watts. The watts
are about nine feet deep and eight
feet in diameter and resemble large
wooden vinegar watts, 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 watts, two men
tramping 1t down until there is
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 re-
ceiver about the size of an eight-gal-
Ion 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 I'M
clamped. Then, by the use of a 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 a 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 it
is spread out on the ground. There
it is allowed to dry just as hay is
allowed to cure. Then it is raked
up and hauled to the barns, where
it is stacked.
Here is very interesting feature
of mint farming. Animals, horses,
cows, sheep and cattle generally eat
this mint straw. Up to this time it
is not known exactly what value at
taches to this material as food for
animals, further than it 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 coll
lect stock along the banks and allow
them to feed there during the winter
months. 1t is not expected that they
will eat all of it, but much will be
consumed.
The aim is to get all the way from
thirty to forty pounds of oil from an
acre of mint. Only the new mint
produces the larger quantity. Mint
distilling is handled at various speeds.
Twenty watts a day is considered a
good days work. 1t has occurred that
one vat will fill forty-pound demi-
john with oil, but then all charges
do not make such showing. 1t can
not produce at that rate when there
is large quantity of weeds among
the watts. 1t is claimed that only rag
and smart weed are Injurious to the
oil. The product obtained from these
farm stills is the crude or natural
OIL
Since mint farming has assumed
such extensive proportions in Berrien
County more than one kind has been
grown. Some of the farmers are
producing spearmint. This is largely
used as flavoring agent in cookery,
having a pleasant aromatic odor.
Tansy also is being grown and dis
titled, the oil being used as a flavor
ing agent.
The help question largely enters
into the mint-raising industry. Forty
acres of mint requires a 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 it requires a force
of from five to seven men to run the
still alone. The work of harvesting
and distilling begins in the latter part
of August and lasts until frost stops
the work. - New York Tribune
Farmer.