NEW YORK, MAY 4, 1907. 
WEEKLY’, $1.00 PER YEAR. 
PEPPERMINT, A CROP FOR SWAMP LANDS 
A Story Often Called For. 
Few crops yielding so profitable a return as pepper¬ 
mint are grown to such a limited extent. The past 
year there was probably little more than 
8,000 acres grown in the United States, 
and more than 90 per cent of this acreage 
was grown within a radius of 90 miles of 
the city of Kalamazoo, Mich. A plant¬ 
ing of peppermint frequently yields 35 or, 
more pounds per acre the first season. 
At $3 a pound, the price obtained during 
several months last year, the grower has 
a gross return of $10" an acre, and 
though the second and third crops from 
a planting yield a somewhat smaller quan¬ 
tity of oil, the cost of production is also 
less. Mint can be grown on any land 
that will produce a profitable crop of 
corn, and its cultivation was formerly 
limited to upland. Its cultivation is much 
more profitable, however, when grown in 
soils rich in decayed vegetable matter, 
commonly known as “muck.” 
The ground is plowed in the Autumn 
and thoroughly harrowed as early in the 
Spring as possible. After harrowing the 
field is marked with furrows about three 
feet apart and five inches deep. A disk 
potato marker marks four rows at a time, 
and is an excellent tool for this purpose. 
Workmen carry in sacks over their shoul¬ 
ders the rootstocks which have been pro¬ 
duced from the planting of the previous 
year. These rootstocks are dug as early 
in the Spring as possible, and are about 
one-fourth of an inch in diameter and 
from one to three feet in length. They 
are put in the furrow lengthwise to form 
a continuous line, and are covered with 
a movement of the feet as the workman 
walks astride the row. A good workman 
will plant from one-half to one acre a 
day—the latter being considered an excel¬ 
lent day’s work. On the Campania Farm 
in western Michigan, a machine has been 
constructed with which as many as 10 
acres may be planted in a day. For the 
successful operation of this machine, how¬ 
ever, it is necessary to cut the roots in 
lengths of a few inches, and it is not be¬ 
lieved that so good a stand of plants is 
obtained in this way as when planted by 
hand. '1 he planting is usually done in 
April or early May, though a successful 
crop may be obtained from planting as 
late as the first of June. If the conditions 
of soil and weather are favorable the new 
plants begin to appear above the surface 
in about two weeks from the time of 
planting, and continue to appear for sev¬ 
eral weeks afterward. 
Cultivation with horses begins within 
a short time after the appearance of the 
plants above the surface, and continues 
every week until the runners begin to 
form, which is usually in July. By taking 
out some of the side teeth, cultivation 
may be continued somewhat longer. Cul¬ 
tivators with many fine teeth are best for 
the purpose, and when necessary men 
should follow the cultivator to remove 
the weeds from between the plants in the 
row. If any weeds appear after cultiva¬ 
tion has stopped they should be pulled by 
hand, as the presence of weeds in the 
mint may discolor the oil. In good soils the rootstocks 
which began to be thrown out in July frequently cover 
the ground in August. These rootstocks are used for 
planting the following year. 
Three or four crops may be produced from a single 
THE HOME OF A MICHIGAN MINT FARMER. Fig. 168. 
INTERIOR OF A MINT DISTILLERY. Fig. 169. 
FILLING ONE OF THE MINT VATS. Fig. 170. 
planting. It is the custom of most growers to plow 
in the Autumn after each crop is harvested, so that the 
rootstocks that have been produced in the Summer may 
be turned under to form a new growth the following 
year. I he rootstocks having covered the ground the 
crops of the second and third year can¬ 
not of course be cultivated with horses. 
Many growers do no weeding by hand, in 
which case not more than three crops can 
be grown from a planting. Harvesting 
begins with the appearance of the blos¬ 
soms, and when the leaves nearest the 
base of the stem begin to turn yellow. 
With old mint this will be about the first 
of August, but with mint planted the 
same season it will be somewhat later. 
Harvesting always begins with the old 
mint. 1 he first crop of a planting is 
usually cut by hand with a scythe, but if 
the ground is very level it may be suc¬ 
cessfully cut with the ordinary mower. 
It is cured in much the same way as 
clover hay, although it is perhaps not 
allowed to become quite as dry as is usual 
with hay. If allowed to become too dry 
the leaves fall off in handling and much 
of the oil is lost. The crop may be cut 
one day, raked and cocked the second, 
and if the weather is good may be drawn 
to the distillery the third day. The mint 
should, however, be as dry as possible 
without losing the leaves, as much less 
time is required to distill the oil. Wagons 
with tight tops are used for hauling, so 
that the leaves that fall off on the wagon 
may be gathered up with a “scoop.”' 
1 he distillery usually consists of two 
wooden retorts or vats, so that one may 
be filled while the contents of the other 
are being distilled. These .vats are about 
eight feet deep, seven feet in diameter at 
the top and six feet at the bottom. A 
few inches from the bottom there is a 
perforated false bottom, and between 
these two the steam pipe enters the vat. 
On the false bottom a metal frame is 
placed to which chains are attached and 
held in an upright position along the 
sides of the vat by small ropes secured 
above. 1 his is simply a convenient ar¬ 
rangement for lifting the mint from the 
vat after distillation. The mint is firmly 
packed by two workmen tramping on it 
as it is thrown into the vat, and when 
about half full a second frame is,put in 
and the vat filled in the same manner. 
The cover, which is steam tight, is then 
put in place and securely bolted. A little 
steam is usually allowed to enter the vat 
when it is being filled, as it causes the 
mint to be more firmly packed. After 
the top has been fastened, steam is turned 
on at 40 or 50 pounds pressure. For a 
distillery consisting of two vats of the 
size given above a 35 horse-power boiler 
is usually provided. From near the top 
of each vat a pipe leads to a “worm” or 
condenser, which finally ends in a small 
receiving tank, where the oil rises to the 
surface and may be drawn off at intervals. 
The length of time of distillation is de¬ 
termined by removing a wooden plug 
from the top; and if the oil is completely 
distilled there will be scarcely any odor 
of peppermint from the escaping steam. 
About 30 minutes will be required to dis¬ 
till the oil from one filling of the vat if 
