The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1914-02-01

y
with horses. Many growers do no
wedding by hand in which case not
more than three crops can be grown
from a planting.
Harvesting begins with the APP
pearance of blossoms and when leaves
nearest the base of the stem begin to
turn yellow; with old mint this will
be about the 1st of August. The first
crop is generally cut by hand with a
scythe, but If the ground is very lev
ell it may be successfully cut with an
ordinary mower. 1t is cured in much
the same way as clover hay, although
it is perhaps not allowed to become
quite as dry as is usual with hay, for
il allowed to become too dry, the
leaves fall off in handling and much
of the oil is lost. The crop may be
cut one day, raked and cooked the
second, and drawn to the distillery
the third day. The mint, however,
should be as dry as possible without
losing the leaves. "
In recent number OF the Rural
New Yorker a description is given of
the distillery used in distilling the
oil from the mint. as follows:
''The distillery usually consists of
two wooden retorts or watts, SO that
one may be filled while the contents
of the other il being distilled. These
vats are almost eight feet deep, seven
feet in diameter at the top and six
feet at the bottom. A few inches
from the bottom there is perforated
false bottom and, between these two
the steam pipe enters the vat. On
the false bottom metal frame is
placed to which chains are attached
and held in an upright position along
the sides of the vat, by small ropes
secured above. This is simply a con-
venient arrangement for lifting the
mint from the vat after distillatiOn.
"The mint is firmly packed by two
workmen tramping on it as it is
thrown into the vat and when about
half full second frame is put in and
the vat filled in the same manner.
The cover, which is steam tight, is
then put into place and securely bolt
ed. A little steam is usually allowed
to enter the vat when it is being fill
ed, as it causes the mint to be more
been fastened, steam is turned on at
40 to 80 pounds pressure. For dis
tillery consisting of two vatS of the
boiler is usually provided. From
near the top of each vat pipe leads
to worm condenser, which finally
ends in a small receiving tank, where
the oil rises to the surface and may
be drawn off at intervals. The length
of time OF distillation is determined
by removing a wooden plug from the
top and ii the oil is completely dis
titled there will be scarcely any odor
of peppermint from the escaping
steam. About 30 minutes will be re-
quired to distill the oil from one fill
ing of the vat if the mint is in good
condition, but it not properly dried
or wet by rain sometimes two hours
are required for distillation. The
amount of oil obtained from one fill
ing of the vat varies greatly-1O to II
pounds being perhaps the average.
In new mint as much as 80 pounds is
sometimes obtained, while old mint
that is very weedy may not yield
more than two or three pounds, al
though so low yield is very unusual.
The mint straw is removed from
the vat after the oil is distilled by
attaching crane to the chains OF the
frame on which the mint was placed;
it is then lifted by machinery and
placed on wagon to be drawn to a
vacant space and spread out to dry.
When thoroughly dry it may be
stacked in the open or placed under
cover to be fed to stock during the
winter. Some farmers believe cattle
and horses prefer this feed to timo-
thy, though but one feeding is given
0aV nSuaIIV at NIGHT If iS not