GINSENG--GOVERNMENT DESCRIPTION, ETC.
The following is from a bulletin issued by the U. S. Department of
Agriculture--Bureau of Plant Industry--and edited by Alice Henkel:
Panax Quinquefolium L.
Other Common Names--American Ginseng, sang, red-berry, five-fingers.
Habitat and Range--Ginseng is a native of this country, its favorite
haunts being the rich, moist soil in hardwood forests from Maine to
Minnesota southward to the mountains of northern Georgia and
Arkansas. For some years Ginseng has been cultivated in small areas
from central New York to Missouri.
Description of Plant--Ginseng is an erect perennial plant growing
from 8 to 15 inches in height and bearing three leaves at the summit,
each leaf consisting of five thin, stalked ovate leaflets, long
pointed at the apex, rounded or narrow at the base, the margins
toothed; the three upper leaflets are largest and the two lower ones
smaller. From 6 to 20 greenish yellow flowers are produced in a
cluster during July and August, followed later in the season by
bright crimson berries. It belongs to the Ginseng family
(Araliaceae.)
Description of Root--Ginseng has a thick, spindle-shaped root, 2 to 3
inches long or more, and about one-half to 1 inch in thickness, often
branched, the outside prominently marked with circles or wrinkles.
The spindle-shaped root is simple at first, but after the second year
it usually becomes forked or branched, and it is the branched root,
especially if it resembles the human form, that finds particular
favor in the eyes of the Chinese, who are the principal consumers of
this root.
[Illustration: Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolium).]
Ginseng root has a thick, pale yellow white or brownish yellow bark,
prominently marked with transverse wrinkles, the whole root fleshy
and somewhat flexible. If properly dried, it is solid and firm.
Ginseng has a slight aromatic odor, and the taste is sweetish and
mucilaginous.
Collection and Uses--The proper time for digging Ginseng root is in
autumn, and it should be carefully washed, sorted and dried. If
collected at any other season of the year, it will shrink more and
not have the fine, plump appearance of the fall dug root.
The National Dispensatory contains an interesting item concerning the
collection of the root by the Indians. They gather the root only
after the fruit has ripened, and it is said that they bend down the
stem of ripened fruit before digging the root, covering the fruit
with earth, and thus providing for future propagation. The Indians
claim that a large percentage of the seeds treated in this way will
germinate.
Altho once official in the United States Pharmacopoeia, from 1840 to
1880, it is but little used medicinally in this country except by the
Chinese residents, most of the Ginseng produced in this country being
exported to China. The Chinese regard Ginseng root as a panacea. It
is on account of its commercial prominence that it is included in
this paper.
Cultivation--There is probably no plant that has become better known,
at least by name, during the past ten years or more than Ginseng. It
has been heralded from north to south and east to west as a
money-making crop. The prospective Ginseng grower must not fail to
bear in mind, however, that financial returns are by no means
immediate. Special conditions and unusual care are required in
Ginseng cultivation, diseases must be contended with, and a long
period of waiting is in store for him before he can realize on his
crop.
Either roots or seeds may be planted, and the best success with
Ginseng is obtained by following as closely as possible the
conditions of its native habitat. Ginseng needs a deep, rich soil,
and being a plant accustomed to the shade of forest trees, will
require shade, which can be supplied by the erection of lath sheds
over the beds. A heavy mulch of leaves or similar well rotted
vegetable material should be applied to the beds in autumn.
If roots are planted, they are set in rows about 8 inches apart and 8
inches apart in the row. In this way a marketable product will be
obtained sooner than if grown from seed. The seed is sown in spring
or autumn in drills 6 inches apart and about 2 inches apart in the
row. The plants remain in the seed bed for two years and are then
transplanted, being set about 8 by 8 inches apart. It requires from
five to seven years to obtain a marketable crop from the seed. Seed
intended for sowing should not be allowed to dry out, as this is
supposed to destroy its vitality.
Price--The price of wild Ginseng roots ranges from $5.00 a pound
upward. The cultivated root generally brings a lower price than the
wild root, and southern Ginseng roots are worth less than those from
northern localities.
Exports--The exports of Ginseng for the year ended June 30, 1906,
amounted to 160,949 pounds, valued at $1,175,844.