Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 May 1914 — NEW INDUSTRY FOR JASPER CO. [ARTICLE]

NEW INDUSTRY FOR JASPER CO.

Several Ades of Mint Being Planted in About Surrey and Parr This Season. Simon Chupp and Manuel Harshberger, of near Parr, were up at Bremen, in Marshall county, last week getting peppermint roots for planting on their farms and the farms of relatives near them. They got 13 double wagon box loads and shipped down here, the roots costing them about $lO per load there besides their labor, and cost about sl6 here, including the freight. In the neighborhood of 40 acres of mint is being put out by Simon, Dan and Festus Chupp, Levi Miller. Manuel Harshberger and John Leitchy. Mr. Harshberger and Festus Chupp had out about one acre of mint last year and the oil brought them $127. Mr. Harshberger carried the oil up to Bremen in a couple of suit cases, where he sold it at $2.25 per pound, and there are about 7% pounds in a gallon.

The re-J s a great deal of peppermint growm in about Bremen. The best resultk'are had where it is replanted every year. It is planted in rows, the ground furrowed, as for potatoes, and the mint roots scattered in the furrows and then covered with dirt. It is cultivated between the rows, the same as corn or potatoes, and when harvested is mowed with a scythe for the best results. Messrs. Chupp and Harshberger got ten loads O f the roots they purchased from one man who had out 15 acres of mint last year and had sold SI,OOO worth pf roots fron)| five acres of this and still had some roots from the five acres left. This man was a renter on an 80-acre farm, paying SSOO cash rent. Last year he paid his rent and cleared $1,500 on the farm, the most of which was made from the mint. He is putting in 50 acres of mint this year.

Any black or muck ground is said to be suitable for the growing of mint, and if the above parties, who are experimenting with the crop this year in Jasper county, do well, it is likely that many others will try it next season.