95 — 



I. Wayne County, New York. 



The peppermint - growing area this year, as last year, lies in the 

 districts of Arcadia, Lyons, Sodus, Marion, and Palmyra, and there 

 has been no change whatever in the economic conditions since 1908. 

 Owing to the low prices ($ 1.40 per lb.) everybody is becoming 

 completely discouraged with the cultivation of the plant, and whereas in 

 1908 a total area of 379 acres was under cultivation, it has been 

 restricted this season to only 2*]% 1 j 2 acres. Peppermint-growing, there- 

 fore, will gradually disappear entirely from this neighbourhood. This 

 year also a quantity of about 25000 lbs. of peppermint oil remains 

 unsold in the hands of the producers, who are awaiting better prices, 

 and are in no circumstances prepared to sell at the present quotations. 

 The average result of this season's distillation is estimated at 30 lbs. 

 per acre for the newly planted, and 10 lbs. per acre for the old fields. 



The following figures give particulars of the cultivation: — 





this 



year 



last year 



Williamson 



2 



acres 



2 acres 



Marion 



19V2 



>> 



I 3 1 A » 



Palmyra 



11 



» 



14 



Sodus 



18V2 



>> 



15-7* » 



Arcadia 



49 7» 



j> 



46V2 » 



Junius 



6 



>> 



3 



Galen 



4 



» 



8 



Lyons 



34 



yj 



31V2 „ 



14472 



acres 



134 



acres. 



It is true, therefore, that more peppermint has been planted this year 

 than in 1908, when the new cultivations only amounted to 12 i l j 2 acres, 

 but notwithstanding this the total area, as stated above, has decreased. 



The total output of the Wayne County peppermint plantations 

 during the present year is estimated as follows: — 



1447a acres °f tms year's plants, at 20 lbs. p. acre, abt. 4335 lbs. 

 134 „ of last „ „ „ 10 „ „ „ „ 1340 „ 



Total about 5675 lbs. 



Add old stock in producers' hands 25000 „ 



Total available for 1909 . ...... about 30675 lbs. 



II. Michigan and Indiana. 



As will be seen from the figures given below, the area planted 

 with peppermint in these two States has been reduced by about 

 4000 acres, but this great reduction is more than counterbalanced by 

 the large quantities of oil which are still in the hands of the farmers. 

 The scarcity of new plantations is especially striking. If this year 



