Editorial.

Statistics on Peppermint.

An item on the foregoing subject has been going the rounds of the daily papers, and, in order to verify it, a copy was mailed to the well-known Michigan peppermint grower, Albert M. Todd, who sent the following, which may well replace the above-mentioned clipping:

"Regarding the item, of which you sent me a copy, relating to peppermint culture, most of the statements are approximately correct. The yield of oil of peppermint in Michigan will be about 150,000 pounds this year. Ordinarily, about 350 pounds of half-dried American peppermint plants produce 1 pound of oil. The average yield per acre for a period of twenty years, for the first two 3-ears after planting, has been, I should say, about 12 pounds per annum. It has sometimes greatly exceeded this, and sometimes fallen short, on account of frost, drought, and other causes. The crop suffered greatly this year from the two causes mentioned, yet, owing to increased area planted, there was a good amount produced.

"I have not calculated closely the area under cultivation to peppermint this year, but would estimate both 'old' and 'new' crops combined to be from 12,000 to 15,000 acres.

"There was a greater quantity of inferior oil of peppermint produced this year than usual, since the 'old' crop was largely cut down by frost and drought, which permitted the growth of weeds, and, under careless cultivation in some localities, the quality was poor."

The American Journal of Pharmacy, Vol. 67, 1895, was edited by Henry Trimble.