The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1926-12-16
Is Rated as Speculative
and Oil Market Limit
ed Due to Uses
SAYS SCHEME is TO
SELL THE ROOTS
Letter to the County Ag-
,ent Shows Good Chance
to Lose Money

Lest the IDEA Oh getting quick
and highly profitable crop started
in this valley gets the, better of
the growers judgment, we are
herewith printing an article on
mint growing copied from the Bee
Nugget, of Chehalis, in Lewis
county. The article was written
by County Agent F. D. Yeager,
who is investigating the possibil-
tiles for the crop in Lewis county.
Indications are that there is con-
siderable land in Lewis county
which is particularly adapted for
the growing of mint. We have al
ready some sixty acres planted in
the county. A number of parties
are or have been working in the
county with the hopes of having
considerable more acreage planted
to mint. All of the parties who are
working toward this end, as far
as / can determine, have mint
roots for sale.
i have investigated the matter
Of mint growing considerably. It
is reported to me from parties in
Oregon that one concern has the
output from 1876 acres of mint for
which they have not received an
offer of more than SIS per pound
to date. 1t is also reported that if
they sell this mint oil at $5 per
pound that they will lose money
on their operation.
The price which one can receive
from the oil and still make money,
of course will vary with each par
ty growing the mint, as the cost
of production will vary consider
able, owing to the land on which
it is grown, the number of weeds
that are present and yield of oil.
The yield, as far as / can deter
mine, varies some place between
20 and 70 pounds per acre, with
some exceptions of 100 or more
pounds per acre yield. Since Lewis
county has quite an acreage that
is adapted to mint, it is my hope
that the parties interested may
have the opportunity to plant mint
if they so choose and will have
the opportunity to make the mon
ey there may be in the business.
However, / feel that they ought
to know something about the trend
OF prices and the trend of expan-
sion of acreage, etc., concerning
this crop.
Please allow me to quote the
following letter from M. D. Arm
strong, specialist in horticulture,
extension department, State Col
lege of Washington:
Dear Mr.. Yeager: Replying to
your letter of the oath concern
ing the planting of mint in your
county. ! would suggest that you
caution the growers not to become
too enthusiastic about this crop,
as 1t rs very speculative busi-
ness.
There are now over 10000 acres
m the United States and there are
thousands and thousands of acres
upon which mint can be grown sue
eesstuiiy. The market is limited,
the oil being chiefly used in flaw
oring for confections and in few
arugs and liniments. It has no
,arge commercial use. Heretofore,
the principal supply of mint has
come from Michigan, Indiana and
New York.
Inc price fluctuates good deal
q times getting as low as $1.5O
pef pound At those times many
90 OUT OF the business and in a
.e" years the price is apt to come
W again to Sc, So and even SO,
,oon II 1873. The extreme prices in
1870 were due to winter kill in
Aiehgan and Indiana at that time.
About 100000 pounds of oil
e required annually to supply
TS m needs Of the United States.
i, average valuation of this mint
ra ~ = around 50 to $3.50 per pound.
concerning soi,s the price of oil, I am
sung 70 quote a paragraph from