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acres, but owing to successful American competition, this industry 

 in England began to wane. In England, the principal districts in 

 w^hich it is still cultivated are Mitcham and Carshalton in Surrey, 

 Market-Deeping in Lincolnshire, Hitchin in Hertfordshire and 

 Wisbeach in Cambridgeshire. 



In England, two varieties of the plant are grown called the 

 '' black " and the " white " mints. There are few botanical 

 characteristics by which these two varieties can be distinguished, 

 except that the former is much the coarser plant, its stems are 

 more tinged with purple, and the upper surface of its leaves are of 

 a more purplish-brown. It flowers somewhat later. The oil it 

 affords is more abundant, but is more rank and less valued than 

 that of the " white." The stems of the " white " mint are green 

 and its leaves are rather more coarsely serrated than those of the 

 *' black " variety. It is less hardy than the " black " mint, it does 

 not so well withstand the spring frosts or prolonged droughts. In 

 some plantations both varieties are grown, and mixed together in 

 the still, the result being improved in flavour by the superior 

 delicacy of the oil of the " white " variety, but in some districts the 

 " black " alone is used. A Mitcham grower states the " black " 

 mint to yield 30 lb. of oil per acre and the " white " 24 lbs. 



The conditions under wdiich peppermint arrives at perfection 

 are : a temperate or moist warm climate, and a rich, somewhat 

 sandy soil, with abundance of moisture ; but if grown on a heavy 

 or clay soil, which holds the moisture, or a poor chalky, or gravelly 

 soil, the result is disappointing. The land should be well ploughed 

 as late in the year as possible, and either cross-ploughed or 

 thoroughly pulverised in some other manner. Early in the spring 

 the land should be laid off in furrows 24 to 26 inches apart, and 

 ^' sets " or portions of the roots of old plants are to be thickly 

 placed in the furrows and covered lightly. These sets grow 

 vigorou.sly the first year and throw out numerous stolons above the 

 surface of the ground ; hence, in the autumn the first crop has 

 always to be cut by hand w^ith a sickle to prevent injury to the 

 stolons. After the crop has been removed, these are allowed to 

 harden, or become woody, and then farmyard manure is scattered 

 over the field and ploughed in. In this way the stolons are 

 divided into numerous portions and covered with soil. If the 

 autumn proves wet, the stolons do not harden, but may become 

 sodden and rot if the soil be at all heavy ; but if the weather and 



