5 ara > AN oe OTES| on ESSENTIAL, a : 47 
»d ous ‘constituents of the eS Se oee 
| ‘The cultivation of ‘spearmint is conducted ertsnaively in the United States for the 
oduction of the volatile oil, which is used largely for the flavouring of chewing gum. 
- Rabak grew the | spearmint plants at Arlington Farm, Va., and his investigations 
dis net stages of growth; viz., budding, flowering and fruiting stages. They were 
i distilled in both fresh and dried-conditions and the oils subjected to examination and 
ympared both as regards yield. of oil and physical:and chemical composition. At the 
ame time, the leaves and flowering tops were separated from the fresh material at 
different stages of growth and distilled i in order to obtain information regarding 
distribution of the oil in the plant and composition of the oil from the plant parts 
a us compared with the whole fresh herb. = 
% Rabak found that the yields apparently vary with the season. In 1908 and 1911, 
th ey were considerably higher than in 1909 and 1910. The yield of oil from the fruiting 
3 ant was low, while the flowering stage produced the. highest yield. Dry herb always 
elded less oil than the fresh plants. The average percentage of moisture during the 
ars 1909, 1910 and 1911 was as follows: Budding oa 71.6; flowering stage, 70.7; 
fruiting stage 62.2 per cent. 
+g ee, 
| 
Y veld of ai from ‘the fresh. nd cabs the dry spearmint herb at different does growth 
4 . during the YOR 1908 to 1911: . 
--Fresh herb, budding 0.11 to 0.30, on an average 0. 187 per cent. 
Be Mowerine Pt S026," 4,0, tO ium, ite 
ae Bree armen OOL 02 Co re OI OR ye a 
maser nadine, MOF DO. iy cy OMAR Wh as 
De.) floweriste 0.007 -,,°° 0:22), ee AO Aida Wak pene Ore 
Pig »  Aruiting 0.037 ,, 0.14, PE ROO Bats 
e yield ages iis whole ‘herb is generally fawier than that from either the leaves or 
4 lowering tops, due to the presence of stems. The flowering tops yielded uniformly more 
oil than the leaves. piles tops son as the fruiting stage show the pene oil content.) 
Yielc ae: ou ani the fresh Kerb. leaves Mia tops spearmint at different stages of growth: 
ig 
a a) Whole herb: 
budding Stage 0.11 to 0.23, on an average 0.15 per cent., 
flowering ” 0.15 fi ” 0.26, ” ” < is 0.2 ” ” ) 
eet ig OT OLE 5 iy oy eer ee ONE A) 5h 8 
| 3 b) Leaves: Kn 
% budding stage 0.08 to 0.24, on an average 0. 176 per cent., 
nmewecrine- 4°'?7020 8 O29" shi MAS Sd 8 
TE te ” ’ 
ena a OS FOALS tg Hien ihes ODO Hag we ks 
ee . 1. ¢) Tops: © . 
budding stage 0.08 to 0.42, on an average 0.200 per cent., 
flowering ,, 0.14, 0.48, ,, ,- Bike Gd ApoE ah hl oR Cia 
minting. (OMS AL ie gs ee Aig) 2K oS, 
aN 
Lr 
tended over the years 1908, 1909, 1910 and 1911. The pilates were gathered at three | 
