or True Peppermint. 119 



Messrs. Price and Hickman report : — 



" We have examined the Australian Oil of Peppermint, and consider 

 it to be of excellent quality, and but little inferior to Mitcham Oil. If 

 it could be produced a trifle less yellow in colour, we Lave no doubt 

 we could dispose of it in this market at about 27s. 6d. per lb. In 

 its present state, we tbuik it would be wortb 25s." 



Another firm report : — 



" It certainly is the best foreign oil we have seen, but still it is 

 foreign, and we doubt if at first it can compete with English ; we think 

 it will scon take a high place." 



These reports certainly establish the fact that, notwith- 

 standing prejudices to be overcome, we can produce an Oil 

 of Peppermint, which, with care and attention, will vie with 

 the choicest known ; and my object in bringing this subject 

 before this Society is, that it may become known that this 

 interesting and minor industry is deserving of cultivation ; 

 but the general indifference existing amongst cultivators of 

 the soil to enter upon the growth of anything which is apart 

 from that generally undertaken in Victoria, renders it difficult 

 to produce a new export, which, like the present article, has 

 a world-wide market. The information frequently sought 

 by these farmers and obtained, often remains without further 

 use, and if advanced a step, ends there. The plant now 

 under notice, so far as my experience goes, has not been an 

 exception ; some attention was bestowed in the districts I 

 have mentioned at planting, yet, as the herb grew, it was 

 allowed to be surrounded with weeds, and almost forsaken ; 

 on submitting it therefore to distillation, it could not be 

 entirely freed from weeds, rendering it difficult to obtain an oil 

 of fine aroma ; the repoi't mentions "a slight weedy odour." 

 This, I think, must show the " expert" judging the oil, and 

 also the reliable character of the opinions expressed. 



The demand in England and in most parts of the world 

 for Peppermint Oil is very great, and the closer it resembles 

 in flavour and aroma that of Mitcham, the greater is the 

 preference given. 



I have seen it noticed that about 4,000 acres of Pepper- 

 mint are annually under cultivation in England, and Piesse 

 states that about 6,000 acres of it are annually under culti- 

 vation in America. One acre will produce from ten to 

 twelve pounds of oil. From my own observation, the best 

 method to promote the growth of the plant is to plant the 

 roots about six inches apart in rows, and the rows about 



