GENERAL INFORMATION.
Cultivated root being larger than wild takes more care in drying.
Improper drying will materially impair the root and lessen its value.
It is those who study the soil and give attention to their fruit that
make a success of it. The same applies to growing Ginseng and other
medicinal plants.
When buying plants or seeds to start a garden it will be well to
purchase from some one in about your latitude as those grown hundreds
of miles north or south are not apt to do so well.
Ginseng culture is now carried on in nearly all states east of the
Mississippi River as well as a few west. The leading Ginseng growing
states, however, are New York, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and
Minnesota.
Thruout the "Ginseng producing section" the plants are dug by
"sengers" from early spring until late fall. The roots are sold to
the country merchants for cash or exchanged for merchandise. The
professional digger usually keeps his "seng" until several pounds are
collected, when it is either shipped to some dealer or taken to the
county seat or some town where druggists and others make the buying
of roots part of their business. Here the digger could always get
cash for roots which was not always the case at the country store.
Quite often we hear some one say that the Chinese will one of these
days quit using Ginseng and there will be no market for it. There is
no danger, or at least no more than of our people giving up the use
of tea and coffee. Ginseng has been in constant use in China for
hundreds of years and they are not apt to forsake it now.
The majority of exporters of Ginseng to China are Chinamen who are
located in New York and one or two cities on the Pacific coast. There
is a prejudice in China against foreigners so that the Chinamen have
an advantage in exporting. Few dealers in New York or elsewhere
export--they sell to the Chinamen who export.
The making of Bordeaux Mixture is not difficult. Put 8 pounds
bluestone in an old sack or basket and suspend it in a 50-gallon
barrel of water. In another barrel of same size, slack 8 pounds of
good stone lime and fill with water. This solution will keep. When
ready to use, stir briskly and take a pail full from each barrel and
pour them at the same time into a third barrel or tub. This is
"Bordeaux Mixture." If insects are to be destroyed at the same time,
add about 4 ounces of paris green to each 50 gallons of Bordeaux.
Keep the Bordeaux well stirred and put on with a good spray pump.
Half the value in spraying is in doing it thoroughly.
It is our opinion that there will be a demand for Seneca and Ginseng
for years. The main thing for growers to keep in mind is that it is
the wild or natural flavor that is wanted. To attain this see that
the roots are treated similar to those growing wild. To do this,
prepare beds of soil from the woods where the plants grow, make shade
about as the trees in the forests shade the plants, and in the fall
see that the beds are covered with leaves. Study the nature of the
plant as it grows wild in the forest and make your "cultivated"
plants "wild" by giving them the same conditions as if they were
growing wild in the forest. As mentioned in a former number, an easy
way to grow roots is in the native forest. The one drawback is from
thieves.
The above appeared as an editorial in the Hunter-Trader-Trapper,
August, 1905.
Growing Ginseng and Golden Seal will eventually become quite an
industry, but as we have said before, those that make the greatest
success at the business, will follow as closely as possible the
conditions under which the plants grow in the forests, in their wild
state. Therein the secret lies. There is no class of people better
fitted to make a success at the business than hunters and trappers,
for they know something of its habits, especially those of the
Eastern, Central and Southern States, where the plants grow wild.
There is no better or cheaper way to engage in the business than to
start your "garden" in a forest where the plant has grown. Forests
where beech, sugar and poplar grow are usually good for Ginseng. The
natural forest shade is better than the artificial.
[Illustration: Forest Bed of Young "Seng." These Plants, However,
Are too Thick.]
This is a business that hunters and trappers can carry on to
advantage for the work on the "gardens" is principally done during
the "off" hunting and trapping season.
The writer has repeatedly cautioned those entering the business of
Ginseng culture to be careful. The growing of Ginseng has not proven
the "gold mine" that some advertisers tried to make the public
believe, but at the same time those who went at the business in a
business-like manner have accomplished good results--have been well
paid for their time. In this connection notice that those that have
dug wild root for years are the most successful. Why? Because they
are the ones whose "gardens" are generally in the forests or at least
their plants are growing under conditions similar to their wild
state. Therein the secret lies.
The majority of farmers, gardeners, etc., know that splendid sweet
potatoes are grown in the lands of the New Jersey meadows. The
potatoes are known thruout many states as "Jersey Sweets" and have a
ready sale. Suppose the same potato was grown in some swampy middle
state, would the same splendid "Jersey Sweet" be the result? Most
assuredly not. If the same kind of sandy soil which the sweet potato
thrives in in New Jersey is found the results will be nearer like the
Jersey.
Again we say to the would-be grower of medicinal roots or plants to
observe closely the conditions under which the roots thrive in their
wild state and cultivate likewise, that is, grow in the same kind of
soil, same density of shade, same kind and amount of mulch (leaves,
etc.) as you observe the wild plant.
The growing of medicinal plants may never be a successful industry
for the large land owner, for they are not apt to pay so much
attention to the plants as the person who owns a small place and is
engaged in fruit growing or poultry raising. The business is not one
where acres should be grown, in fact we doubt if any one will ever be
successful in growing large areas. The person who has acres of forest
land should be able to make a good income by simply starting his
"gardens in the woods." The shade is there, as well as proper mulch,
etc. In fact it is the forest where most of the valuable medicinal
plants grow of their own accord. The conditions of the soil are there
to produce the correct flavor. Some of the growers who are trying to
produce large roots quickly are having trouble in selling their
production. The dealers telling them that their roots have not the
wild natural flavor--but have indications of growing too quickly and
are probably cultivated.
While plants can be successfully cultivated by growing under
conditions similar to the forest yet if there are forest lands near,
you had better make your "gardens" there. This will save shading. In
the north, say Canada, New England and states bordering on Canada,
shading need not be so thick as farther south. In those states, if on
high land, even a south slope may be used.
In other states a northern or eastern slope is preferred, altho if
the shading is sufficiently heavy "gardens" thrive. Read what the
various growers say before you start in the business, for therein you
will find much of value. They have made mistakes and point these out
to others.
From 1892 to 1897 the writer was on the road for a Zanesville, Ohio,
firm as buyer of raw furs, hides, pelts and tallow. The territory
covered was Southern Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and
Northern Kentucky. During that time Ginseng was much more plentiful
than now. Once at Portsmouth a dealer from whom I occasionally bought
hides, had 21 sugar barrels full of dried seng--well on to 3,000
pounds. It was no uncommon thing to see lots of 100 to 500 pounds. I
did not make a business of buying seng and other roots, as it was not
handled to any great extent by the house I traveled for, altho I did
buy a few lots ranging from 5 to 100 pounds, The five years that I
traveled the territory named I should say that I called upon dealers
who handled 100,000 pounds or 20,000 annually. This represented
probably one-fifth of the collection. These dealers of course had men
out.
Just what the collection of Ginseng in that territory is now I am
unable to say as I have not traveled the territory since 1900, but
from what the dealers and others say am inclined to think the
collection is only about 10% what it was in the early '90s.
This shows to what a remarkable extent the wild root has decreased.
The same decrease may not hold good in all sections, yet it has been
heavy and unless some method is devised the wild root will soon be a
thing of the past.
Diggers should spare the young plants. These have small roots and do
not add much in value to their collection. If the young plants were
passed by for a few years the production of the forest--the wild
plant--could be prolonged indefinitely.
A root buyer for a Charleston, W. Va., firm, who has traveled a great
deal thru the wild Ginseng sections of West Virginia, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Indiana and Ohio says: The root is secured in greatest
quantities from the states in the order named. Golden seal is
probably secured in greatest quantities from the states as follows:
West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania. A great deal
is also secured from Western States and the North.
The "sengers" start out about the middle of May, altho the root is
not at the best until August. At that time the bur is red and the
greatest strength is in the root.
Many make it a business to dig seng during the summer. Some years ago
I saw one party of campers where the women (the entire family was
along) had simply cut holes thru calico for dresses, slipping same
over the head and tied around the waist--not a needle or stitch of
thread had been used in making these garments.
Some of these "sengers" travel with horses and covered rig. These dig
most of the marketable roots. Others travel by foot carrying a bag to
put Ginseng in over one shoulder and over the other a bag in which
they have a piece of bacon and a few pounds of flour. Thus equipped
they stay out several days. The reason these men only dig Ginseng is
that the other roots are not so valuable and too heavy to carry.
Sometimes these men dig Golden Seal when near the market or about
ready to return for more supplies.
Some years ago good wages were made at digging wild roots but for the
past few years digging has been so persistent that when a digger
makes from $1.00 to $2.00 per day he thinks it is good.
Some say that the Ginseng growing business will soon be overdone and
the market over-supplied and prices will go to $1.00 per pound or
less for dried root. If all who engage in the business were able to
successfully grow the plant such might be the case. Note the many
that have failed. Several complain that their beds in the forests are
infested with many ups and downs from such causes as damp blight,
root rot, animals and insect pests. A few growers report that mice
did considerable damage in the older beds by eating the neck and buds
from the roots.
There seems to be a mistaken idea in regard to "gardens in the
forest." Many prepare their beds in the forests, plant and cultivate
much the same as the grower under artificial shade. While this is an
improvement over the artificial shade, fertilized and thickly planted
bed, it is not the way that will bring best and lasting results.
Why? Because plants crowded together will contract diseases much
sooner than when scattered. One reason of many failures is that the
plants were too thick. Those that can "grow" in the forests are going
to be the ones that make the greatest success. Farmers,
horticulturists, gardeners, trappers, hunters, guides, fishermen who
have access to forest land should carefully investigate the
possibilities of medicinal root culture.
Those who have read of the fortune to be made at growing Ginseng and
other medicinal roots in their backyard on a small plat (say a rod or
two) had best not swallow the bait. Such statements were probably
written by ignorant growers who knew no better or possibly they had
seed and plants for sale. Ginseng growing, at best, should be done by
persons who know something of plants, their habits, etc, as well as
being familiar with soil and the preparation of same for growing
crops.