White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-05-07
Experiment STATION
GROWING Peppermint II

aIIQeTS are generally dIlHlouS 10
try new crops. Oftentirnes the pion-
GERS in new crops receive extremely
high prices until their good fortune
cause cverproduction by the neigh
/ boring farmers who also desire to
make money. Nevertheless. the more
varied the crops grown in any area
the greater will be the Investigation
and consequently agriculture for that
area will be on a sounder economic
basis.
In hopes Of anticipating desire for
information regarding new crops the
Irrigation Branch Experiment Sta
ton at Prcsser is always ready to
try any new crop showing possibili-
ties Of becoming money-maker for
the farmer. The newest crop under
observation at the station is pepper
mint. One twentieth of an acre OF
English peppermint is being grown
this year. General observations will
be made and the yield and quality OF
the peppermint oil will be determined
Mint has been grown almost ex-
clusively in Michigan and Indiana un-
til the past few years, when Oregon
has become quite a producer. Be-
cause the Western mint oil is of bet
ter quality Contains more menthol)
than the Eastern and because of the
extreme climatic setbacks to the
crop in the East, Oregon has in
creased her acreage great deal
during the past two years and the
mint growersl have received texcep-'
tionally good prices for their product
Mint is grown in rows and kept
cultivated like corn. When mature
it is harvested like alfalfa hay, be-
ing moved and curel. After being
cured it is packed tightly in large
vats through which live steam passes
The steam comes in at the bottom
and rises through the compressed
leaves and absorbs the oil. From this
point the oil-laden steam goes to a
condenser which reduces the mixture
to water and oil. The oil being light
est separates readily and rises to the
top. The water is then drawn off ane
the oil is ready for market.
That the average operator of 8
spray gun does not use enough spray
! is the opinion of A.eE. Lovett, Yak
! ina county agent, and M, D. Arm
strong, extension. horticuluris5, after
! watching demonstrations in the lower
Yakima valley on Friday and Satur-
day of last week, says the Yakima
Herald.
At these demonstrations different
men were asked to spray tree each
and check was made on the
amount apDlied
In most cases where the operator
estimated that eight to ten gallons
would be needed, it was found that
sixteen to twenty gallons tree were
required. That the trees should be
stressed by Mr.. Armstrong.
He did not object to the grower
using more than two pounds Of lead
to 100 gallons of water if the same
amount of solution was applied to
each tree. Although some did not
use enough spray to the tree, there
were always some at each demonstra-
ton who did good work, Mr.. Lovett
said. ~
The record Yakima apple crop of
1928 when 1856 cars of apples were
shipped will be nearly equaled by the
1925 crop, it was indicated last Satur-
day when Ivan L. Plette gave out the
April report for the Yakima Traffic
& Credit association.
Apple shipments to that date for the
Yakima valley were 1912 cars and it
was estimated that when the entire
1925 crop has been shipped the total
will be $4,000 cars or only slightly less
than the banner year. Wenatchee had
shipped 1881 cars of apples up to
Nav