THE CULTIVATOR. 
Nor. 
the end of the third year, the ground becomes so ex¬ 
hausted, and so infested with grass and weeds, that it 
is necessary to plow up the roots, and plant fresh 
grounds. So the first year is the only one of expense 
or labor in the cultivation, as it requires no cultivation 
the second and third years. The crop is exhausting to 
the land. Lands have rented from eight to ten dollars 
per acre for the purpose of raising this mint upon them. 
If the seasons are favorable, and the lands rich, the 
erop the first year will yield mint that will produce 
from ten to thirty pounds of oil to the acre. The se¬ 
cond year (which is the most productive) from twenty- 
five to forty pounds ; and the third year from ten to 
thirty pounds. 
The process of distilling the mint into oil is simple: 
The mint when mowed, on maturing, is placed in an 
ordinary still boiler with water, and fire is placed be¬ 
neath. The evaporation is condensed in a retort, and 
the oil being of less specific gravity than the water, 
floats on the surface. The water in the retort is per¬ 
mitted to escape by a tube beneath the surface of the 
water in the retort, on which the oil floats. The mint, 
after being distilled, is taken from the boiler with a 
hook, and the boiler filled with fresh mint and water, 
until the whole crop is distilled into oil. 
The process of purifying it from all extraneous mat¬ 
ter, is to filtrate the oil through clear white paper. It 
is then placed into tin canisters, containing about twen¬ 
ty-five pounds, and tightly corked and sealed, and is 
then prepared for market. 
Many persons, who have cultivated it for years, have 
realized handsome fortunes, and without interfering 
with the regular production of other crops on their 
farms. 
I may state, in conclusion, that for several years 
past the speculators of the cities have monopolized, by 
private purchase, nearly the entire crop in this region j 
and this year they have purchased the mint , and de¬ 
stroyed the most of it, so as to demand a greater ad¬ 
vance on the last year’s supply of oil. 
Elias Cost. 
Oaks 7 Corners , Ontario co., N. F, Sept . 1, 1847. 
BROOM MANUFACTORY. 
Having a few hours to spend at Schenectady about 
the 1st of September last, our friend, Mr. Charles H. 
Tomlinson, kindly accompanied us to several places 
in the vicinity, and among the rest to the broom manu¬ 
factory of Messrs. Van Epps. 
They have been engaged in the business about eleven 
years. They have a farm of about 300 acres—200 of 
which are Mohawk flats. A large portion of the flats 
was formerly of little value, in consequence of being 
kept wet by a shallow stream which ran through it, 
and which, together with several springs that issue 
from the sandy bluff on the south side of the flats, kept 
the ground marshy, and unfit for cultivation. By deep¬ 
ening the channel of the stream, and conducting most 
of the springs into it, many acres, which were previ¬ 
ously almost worthless, have been made worth $125 
per acre. They have also, by deepening the channel, 
saving the water of the springs, and securing all the 
fall, made a water privilege, on which they have erected 
an excellent mill with several run of stones’ leaving, 
besides, sufficient power to carry saws for cutting out 
the handles of brooms, &c. 
They have, this year, about 200 acres of the flats 
in broom-corn. The cultivation of this article has 
within a few years, been simplified to almost as great 
a degree as its manufacture. The seed is sown with 
a seed-barrow or drill, as early in spring as the state of 
the ground will admit, in rows about 3s feet apart. As 
soon as the corn is above ground, it is hoed, and soon after 
thinned, so as to leave the stalks 2 or 3 inches apart. 
It is only hoed in the row, in order to get out the weeds 
that are close to the plants—the remaining space being 
left for the harrow and cultivator, which are run so 
frequently as to keep down the weeds. The cultiva¬ 
tion is finished by running a small double mould-board 
plow, rather shallow, between the rows. 
The broorn-corn is not left to ripen, as formed)’', but 
is cut while it is quite green, and the seed not much 
passed the milk. It was formerly the practice to lop 
down the tops of the corn, and let it hang sometime, 
that the “ brush” might become straightened in one 
direction. Now the tops are not lopped till the brush 
are ready to cut, which, as before stated, is while the 
corn is green. A set of hands goes forward, and lops 
or bends the tops to one side, and another set follows 
immediately, and cuts off the tops at the place at which 
they were bent, and a third set gathers thq cut. tops 
into carts or wagons, which take them to the factory. 
Here they are first sorted over and parceled out into 
small bunches—each bunch being made up of brush of 
equal length. The seed is then taken off by an appa¬ 
ratus with teeth, like a hatchcl. The machine is 
worked by six horses, and cleans the brush very rapidly. 
Itffs then spread thin, to dry, on racks put up in build¬ 
ings designed for the purpose. In about a week, with 
ordinary weather, it becomes so dry that it will bear to 
be packed closely. 
The stalks of the broom-corn, after the tops have 
been cut off, are five or six feet high, and they are left 
on the ground, and plowed in the next spring. It is 
found that this keeps up the fertility of the soil, so that 
the crop is continued for several years without appa¬ 
rent diminution. It should be observed, however, that 
the ground is overflowed every winter or spring, and a 
considerable deposite left on the surface, which is un¬ 
doubtedly equivalent to a dressing of manure. This 
may be inferred from the fact that some of the flats 
have been in Indian corn every year for forty or fifty 
years, without manure, and with good cultivation have 
seldom produced less than sixty bushels per acre, and 
with extra cultivation, from eighty to ninety bushels 
have been obtained. In case of need, the stalks would 
furnish a large amount of good food for cattle. They 
are full of leaves, which are very nutritive, and whether 
cut and dried for winter, or eaten green by stock turned 
on the ground where they grow, would be very valu¬ 
able in case of deficiency of grass. 
Messrs. Van Epps employ twenty hands during the 
summer, and in autumn, when the brush is being gath¬ 
ered and prepared, they have nearly a hundred, male 
and female. They are mostly Germans, who come here 
with their families during the broom corn harvest, and 
leave when this is over. 
The manufacture of the brooms is carried on mostly 
in the winter season. The quantity usually turned out 
by Messrs. V. E. is 150,000 dozen per annum. 
To save Hickory from Worms. —A correspondent 
of the Prairie Farmer says, that to prevent the commoi 
evil of hickory timber becoming worm-eaten, it must 
be cut during the last half of July, or first half of Au¬ 
gust. This is stated to be effectual. Does this depend, 
on the habits of the insect, or the quality of the tim¬ 
ber at this season ? 
