Am,  Tour.  Pharm.  "I 
July,  19 18.  J 
Japanese  Black  Mint. 
533 
pie  from  Changehun,  but  several  ran  over  19  per  cent.,  while  14.72 
per  cent,  was  the  lowest  of  the  series,  the  remainder  varying  between 
the  two  extremes.  In  order  to  arrive  at  a  proper  average  for  the 
oil  content  of  beans,  50  analyses  were  taken,  and  the  result  shown 
was  17.10  per  cent,  of  oil,  which  is  therefore  a  fair  average  quality 
(f.  a.  q.)  bean-oil  content.  Anything  above  that,  as  18  or  19  per 
cent.,  would  indicate  extra  quality  beans,  and  those  with  less  than 
17.10  per  cent,  of  oil  would  be  poor  quality  beans. 
JAPANESE  BLACK  MINT.1 
By  Vice-Coxsul  E.  R.  Dickover,  Kobe. 
Inquiry  has  come  from  the  United  States  as  to  the  feasibility  of 
sending  to  that  country  black  mint  plants,  from  which  menthol  crys- 
tals and  oil  are  made.  Several  attempts  have  been  made  in  the  past 
to  send  specimens  of  the  mint  plant  to  America,  but  all  have  resulted 
in  failure.  They  can  not  be  sent  by  ordinary  freight,  as  the  two  or 
three  weeks'  trans-Pacific  journey  dries  out  the  roots,  resulting  in 
the  death  of  the  plants.  At  one  time,  I  am  informed,  special  ar- 
rangements were  made  with  the  purser  of  a  steamer  and  a  shipment 
of  mint  plants  were  safely  carried  across  the  Pacific,  being  watered 
at  suitable  intervals ;  but  upon  arrival  in  America  they  were  disin- 
fected, and  died  as  a  result  of  this  treatment.  At  present  the  Kobe 
consulate  is  making  efforts  to  obtain  mint  seeds,  but  as  the  plant  is 
usually  propagated  by  slips  or  root-cuttings  it  has  been  found  almost 
impossible  to  obtain  seeds. 
The  black  mint  plant  is  grown  in  Japan,  in  two  widely  different 
climates.  About  92  per  cent,  is  grown  on  the  Hokkaido  (Yezo), 
the  large  northern  island,  where  the  average  winter  temperature  is 
about  220  F.,  with  a  minimum  of  io°  F.  below  zero,  and  the  average 
summer  temperature  is  about  6o°  F.,  with  a  maximum  of  about  900 
F.  The  average  yearly  rainfall  is  about  38  inches.  The  remaining 
8  per  cent,  of  the  mint  is  grown  in  the  prefectures  of  Okayama  and 
Hiroshima  on  the  main  island,  where  the  average  winter  temperature 
is  about  380  F.,  with  a  minimum  of  about  200  F.,  and  the  average 
summer  temperature  is  about  750  F.,  with  a  maximum  of  about  980 
F.    The  average  yearly  rainfall  in  this  district  is  42.5  inches.  As 
1  From  Commerce  Reports,  May  7,  1918. 
