The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1945-09-13
Mint Harvest In
Full Swing on
2O00-Aue Crop
BY "SLIM" MEVERDEN

The kenneWlck area mint mar.
vest which began the week OF
August 23rd is now in full swing.
From more than a dozen stills in
the territory comes the sharp
smell of peppermint oil, and trucks
are busy hauling mint hay to
these distilleries.
Mint, or really peppermint oil,
is one of the most important crops
Of this part of the Yakima Valley.
About 100000 lbs. Of pepper
mint oil are produced each year
in the United States. Kennewick
area accounts for some 100. 600 IDS.
of this, or about 10 IA cent.
The crop itself is perennial.
First planted with roots or plants,
it grows up again each year for
cutting. The hay is harvested
but once q year however, there
being no second or third cuts Is
with alfalfa.
When the plants are ripe, or
when the oil is at its highest
content on the leaves, the hay is
cut and allowed to dry in the
fields for three days more or less,
depending on weather conditions.
If the hay becomes too dry, the
leaves shatter; II too damp, It Is
difficult to distin.
From one ton to $500 lbs. OF
hay are tramped down In the
steaming tank Of the still, and live
steam is turned in and allowed
to pass through the hay for from
three to four hours. The vapor
passes from the steaming pit or
tank through 100 feet Of pipe sur
rounded by cold water, and is thus
condensed into q mixture Of water
and peppermint oil. This is drawn
off into a separator where later
the water is removed and the oil
put into steel drums.
The u. S. p. specifications for
mint oil quality call for at least
so per cent menthol, S per cent
esters, and optical rotation Of
minus Is. Oil of this quality, If
it is of proper flavor and odor
finds market with chewing gum
manufacturers and candy makers.
Some oil goes into medicines
through the wholesale drug trade,
and about Is per cent is used in
the manufacture of dentrifices-
tooth paste and tooth powder.
Mint growing is a highly speci-
allied type Of farming. Crops
are handled with great care, need
much attention, and the distilling
equipment is costly to install and
not simple to operate properly.
The market at present is limited
and depends on sugar and chicle
supplies available to the manu-
facturers as well as the buyers
choice Of aroma and flavor. Crow
ers strive for a product Of quality
that will appeal to users. Yields
in this area are slightly higher
in pounds per acre than in some
other sections of the northwest
Some patches have made 100 lbs.
Of oil per acre. The average Of
the district is from so to so lbs.
Washington State College men
are in touch with the problems
of the growers and professors
here, and are seeking the answers
to some battling questions regard
ing total yields and quality Of this
commodity.
DR.. j. L. st. John, state chem
list and DR.. Bangs Of the chesnis-
try department at w. S. c. have
spent quite q bit Of time here this
year. DR.. c. S. Vandecavey also
plans some research In this Vicini-
t.. Whatever facts helpful to the
growers these men may uncover
will be made available later in the
year when they have been COR
related.
This years harvest viii continue
for about two more weeks, then
stills will close for another year
till we get the next Whit Of the
mint,S clean fragrance. Then wen
know, as the growers say, "We're
minting again"